2010 Ford Fusion 1.6L Diesel · SH10 CHC

A consistently clean MOT record is the defining feature of this 2010 Ford Fusion, which has passed every annual test since 2022 with no advisories or defects noted by the DVSA examiner, including its most recent pass on 1 September 2025. A single fail was recorded on 21 September 2023, but the official record carries no defect details against it, which typically indicates a minor issue such as a lamp or tyre that was rectified on site before the retest seven days later on 28 September 2023. The absence of any recurring advisories across four consecutive passes suggests that the core safety-critical systems brakes, suspension, steering, exhaust and structure have remained within test thresholds throughout the documented history. For a sixteen year old vehicle, this level of consistency is a reassuring indicator of overall mechanical integrity. With 142,436 miles accumulated over approximately sixteen years, this Fusion has averaged around 8,900 miles per year, which sits squarely within the typical usage band for a car of this age. There are no extended gaps in the MOT timeline that would suggest the vehicle was laid up or off the road for long periods, and the annual mileage progression appears steady rather than erratic. This kind of regular, moderate use is generally favourable for mechanical longevity, as it avoids both the corrosion risks associated with short journeys and stationary periods, and the accelerated wear seen on high-mileage fleet or motorway workhorses. That said, 142,000 miles is a substantial figure for any vehicle, and components subject to gradual wear tyres, brake discs and pads, suspension bushes, shock absorbers and exhaust mountings will inevitably be approaching the latter portion of their service life even if they continue to pass the MOT. Given the clean advisory history, there is no specific component flagged repeatedly for you to interrogate, but the mileage alone places this car firmly in the territory where a thorough physical inspection is essential. On a test drive, listen carefully for any knocking or clonking from the front suspension over uneven roads, particularly over speed humps and potholes, as worn anti-roll bar drop links, wishbone bushes and bottom arm bushes are common at this mileage even when not yet severe enough to trigger an MOT failure. Check for steering vagueness, irregular tyre wear across the front axle, or any pulling to one side under braking, which could point to tired front strut assemblies or a seized brake caliper sliding pin. On start-up from cold, watch the exhaust for excessive blue or grey smoke indicative of valve stem oil seal wear or piston ring wear, both plausible at this odometer reading, and listen for any timing chain rattle on the initial crank which is a known weak point on older petrol Ford units. Before purchase, a compression test and a borescope inspection of the cylinders would be money well spent given the mileage, alongside a check of the gearbox for any whining in fifth gear or difficulty selecting reverse which suggests synchro wear. Examine the underside closely for any surface corrosion on subframe, suspension arms and brake pipe runs, paying particular attention to the fuel and brake lines along the chassis rails where road salt can cause pinhole corrosion even on cars with otherwise clean MOT records. Confirm that the cooling system has been maintained with regular coolant changes to prevent water pump and thermostat failures, and verify the service history shows timely replacement of the cam belt and auxiliary drive belt if the engine is of the belted configuration. Finally, inspect the condition and brand of all four tyres, as uneven wear patterns will quickly reveal the underlying suspension or alignment issues that a clean MOT alone cannot disclose.