2016 Citroen Berlingo 1.6L Diesel · SL66 LPC

Corrosion and wear-related advisories recur across this Berlingo's test history, and the record includes two failures in consecutive years: a fractured offside front coil spring, a major exhaust flexi leak and an insecure fuel cooler in July 2023, followed by a split nearside front CV boot in July 2024. Both failures were rectified promptly, with passes recorded within days, and the van has passed every subsequent test, most recently on 21 July 2026. However, the latest pass still carries a meaningful advisory list: a binding rear service brake, a corroded offside front coil spring, a separating wishbone rear bush, and missing caliper slide bolt caps. Taken with the 2025 advisory for a corroded offside front subframe and the recurring rear axle bush wear noted in 2024, the trend is one of ongoing age-related deterioration in the suspension, brakes and underbody rather than a clean bill of health. The oil leak first flagged in 2021 and again in 2023 has not reappeared in the last two tests, which is a modest positive. Recorded mileage stands at 63,311 miles at roughly ten years old, averaging about 6,300 miles per year, which is typical for a vehicle of this type and age. Tests have been conducted annually each July without gaps, so there is no evidence of extended lay-ups, and the mileage accumulation appears steady rather than erratic. This usage profile is consistent with the wear pattern seen in the records: consumables such as tyres, brake discs and CV boots wearing through normal service, combined with corrosion advancing on springs, subframe and exhaust components simply through age and exposure. A prospective buyer should prioritise the corrosion items. The offside front coil spring was already replaced after fracturing in 2023, yet the same side is again flagged as corroded in 2026, so both front springs warrant close inspection for pitting and flaking, and the corroded offside front subframe should be examined underneath for scaling or perforation, ideally on a ramp. The separating wishbone rear bush and the worn rear axle bushes noted in 2024 may produce knocking or clonking over bumps and vague rear-end behaviour on uneven roads; listen for these on a test drive and check for uneven tyre wear, which has been flagged on multiple occasions at both axles. On the braking side, the rear brakes have been noted as stiff to rotate in 2024 and binding in 2026, suggesting sticking calipers or seized slide mechanisms; on a test drive, feel for the vehicle pulling to one side under braking, a burning smell after a short run, or a rear wheel running hot to the touch afterwards. The missing caliper slide bolt caps are minor but accelerate corrosion of the slides if not replaced. Front brake discs were described as worn, pitted or scored in 2023, so check for pedal judder under firm braking. Finally, given the history of a split CV boot and an exhaust flexi leak, listen for clicking from the front wheels on full lock and any blowing or rasping from the exhaust under acceleration, and verify the windscreen chip noted in 2022 and 2025 has not spread into the driver's line of sight.