2010 Ford Fiesta 1.4L Diesel · SG60 DHX

The most recent DVSA examination on 22 July 2025 resulted in a pass, although the same date also records a fail with a Dangerous defect, indicating the vehicle was rectified immediately and re-tested to pass later the same day. The Dangerous failure was for a nearside front tyre with tread depth below the legal 1.6mm minimum, accompanied by an advisory on the offside front tyre being worn close to the legal limit and on the edge, plus a Major for an inoperative offside front position lamp. Looking at the four-year MOT pattern from 2022 to 2025, the advisory trend is broadly stable but points to consistent front-end issues, particularly front tyre edge wear which has appeared in 2022, 2023, and 2025, suggesting an unresolved tracking or suspension geometry concern. Earlier, in November 2020, the vehicle failed on fractured nearside and offside front coil springs alongside several lighting and washer defects, which is a significant structural and safety concern from five years prior that would warrant verification that the suspension has been comprehensively overhauled since. With 67,872 miles recorded over approximately 16 years, this Fiesta has averaged around 4,242 miles annually, which is substantially below the typical 7,000 to 9,000 miles per year expected for a car of this vintage. There is a notable gap in the MOT history between November 2020 and June 2022, during which the vehicle may have been unused or used very lightly, and the lower annual mileage from 2022 onwards reinforces this pattern of sporadic use. Such prolonged standing periods carry well-documented mechanical consequences including brake disc corrosion and caliper seizure from inactivity, degradation of coolant, brake fluid, and engine oil through calendar ageing rather than mileage, accelerated tyre sidewall perishing and dry rot, and premature 12V battery failure. Conversely, the wear pattern on tyres and the 2020 fractured coil springs suggests that when the vehicle is driven, it may be subjected to rougher road conditions or that suspension components have simply reached the end of their service life. For the prospective buyer, the recurring front tyre edge wear advisories across three consecutive tests warrant particular attention, as this pattern commonly indicates worn suspension bushes, distorted tracking, or sagged coil springs, and during a test drive one should listen for clonking or knocking from the front suspension over bumps and uneven surfaces. A physical inspection of the tyres for inner and outer edge wear should be carried out, ideally with a four-wheel alignment check, and the front brake discs and pads should be examined for lipping, scoring, or corrosion pitting given the 2022 advisory regarding worn front pads and the 2023 brake imbalance advisories. The persistent oil leak advisory, first noted in 2023 and again in 2024, should be investigated by checking for fresh oil residue on the engine and undertray, with particular focus on the cam cover gasket or sump seals, and the nearside front suspension arm ball joint dust cover deterioration flagged in 2024 should prompt a close inspection of the joint itself for play or any clicking sensation under load. Given the low annual mileage and the vehicle's age of 16 years, several calendar-based service items merit verification regardless of the MOT record. The 12V battery should be load tested as batteries rarely survive beyond five years and low-mileage cars with short journeys are particularly prone to premature failure. Brake fluid should be checked for date stamping and renewed if older than three years, as moisture absorption degrades boiling point and braking efficiency, and the coolant should be inspected for condition and strength using a hydrometer, particularly following the 2020 low coolant advisory. Tyres on a vehicle of this age should be examined closely for sidewall cracking, perishing, and DOT date codes, as tyres older than six years harden and lose grip even if tread remains adequate. Finally, the service history should be verified through stamped service book entries or digital records, ensuring that timing belt replacement intervals have been observed, the underbody and inner wheel arches inspected for corrosion, and the exhaust system checked for blowing joints and corrosion around mounting points and the catalytic converter area.