2007 Subaru Forester 2.0L Petrol · SJ07 NGF

The 2007 Subaru Forester presents a stable and improving maintenance trend, culminating in a clean pass on 16 November 2024 at 81,386 miles with zero defects recorded. This is a significant turnaround from the March 2022 failure, where the tester flagged excessive corrosion to the nearside rear suspension mounting area on the sill, a prescribed area where structural integrity is critical. The subsequent November 2022 test at 69,548 miles noted a repair to that same suspension mounting, though it was covered in underseal, which warrants closer scrutiny. By September 2023 at 77,424 miles, advisories for underside corrosion and sill corrosion had returned, alongside a worn front brake disc, a slight prop shaft bearing play, and play in both rear anti-roll bar ball joints. The fact that none of these items appeared in the 2024 test suggests either a thorough pre-MOT preparation or a period of attentive maintenance. The overall trajectory is one of resolution rather than neglect. The mileage profile tells a story of very light use. Across roughly nineteen years, the odometer has advanced just 81,386 miles, averaging approximately 4,283 miles per year. The gap between the March 2022 failure at 69,446 miles and the November 2022 pass at 69,548 miles shows barely 102 miles covered in over eight months, indicating the vehicle may have stood idle for extended periods. The jump to 77,424 miles by September 2023 represents a more active phase of roughly 7,876 miles in under a year, before settling back to a crawl, with only 3,962 miles added between September 2023 and November 2024. Such sporadic use patterns can be a double-edged sword. Low mileage limits consumable wear, but prolonged standing accelerates corrosion in brake lines, suspension mountings, and underbody structures, which is precisely what the 2022 failure exposed. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the underside, particularly both sills and rear suspension mounting points. The 2022 failure for excessive corrosion on the nearside sill, followed by a repair hidden under underseal in the November 2022 test, raises questions about the quality and longevity of that repair. Probe the sills with a screwdriver where accessible, paying attention to the nearside rear area where the original failure occurred. Check the offside rear brake line run near the fuel tank, as the 2022 test flagged excessive corrosion on the brake pipe in that location. Examine the rear brake hoses for ferrule corrosion, and assess the prop shaft centre bearing for play, given the advisory recorded in September 2023. The rear anti-roll bar ball joints also showed slight play in that test, so listen for clunks over rough surfaces and check for play by rocking the wheels at the top and bottom. Beyond the corrosion history, verify the condition of the front brake discs, which were flagged as worn and pitted in September 2023, and inspect the exhaust for any signs of the oil leak noted in that same test. Tyre condition deserves attention given the low annual mileage; aged rubber with sidewall cracking is common on vehicles that sit for long periods. The windscreen wiper and rear seat issues from the 2022 failure appear to have been rectified, but a functional check of all lamps, wipers, and seat mountings is still prudent. The clean 2024 result is encouraging, but the recurring corrosion advisories and the hidden repair beneath underseal mean this vehicle's structural condition cannot be taken at face value without a thorough underside inspection.