2015 Ford Fiesta 1.0L Petrol · SN15 XFG

The 2015 Ford Fiesta presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent MOT, conducted on 17 March 2026 at 48,684 miles, passed, but only after a failure the previous day at 48,682 miles. That failure revealed multiple active defects, including worn rear axle swivel pins and bushes, an excessively worn offside front suspension arm ball joint, a nail in the offside rear tyre, and non-functional stop and position lamps. The pass certificate is therefore misleading without context. The vehicle has not been maintained proactively. Repairs appear reactive, addressing only the immediate failure items before retesting. The recurring corrosion of the offside rear coil spring, flagged in every test since March 2025, remains unresolved. This is a structural concern, not cosmetic surface rust, and suggests the spring is deteriorating under load. The trend is not improving. Suspension components are wearing faster than expected for the mileage, and the pattern of failures indicates deferred upkeep. At roughly 4,426 miles per year, the recorded mileage is low for an 11-year-old vehicle. The gap between the March 2024 test at 34,270 miles and the March 2025 test at 41,263 miles shows a jump of approximately 6,993 miles in twelve months, which is a notable acceleration after what appears to have been a period of very light use. The mileage then barely moved between March 2025 and March 2026, accumulating only a handful of miles. This pattern suggests the car may have stood idle for extended periods, which itself accelerates deterioration of rubber bushes, seals, and corrosion-prone underbody components. Low annual mileage does not equate to low wear when a vehicle sits unused for months at a time. A buyer should inspect the front and rear suspension thoroughly. The offside front suspension arm ball joint has appeared in the record across multiple tests, progressing from slight play in March 2025 to excessively worn by March 2026. Both rear axle swivel pin and bush assemblies were flagged as excessively worn in the most recent failure. These are load-bearing joints, and excessive play affects steering precision and tyre wear. The offside rear coil spring corrosion warrants close examination under the arch and beneath the vehicle. Pitting or section loss on a coil spring is a serious structural risk, as spring failure at speed can cause sudden loss of ride height and unpredictable handling. The offside front tyre has repeatedly shown edge wear, suggesting possible tracking misalignment or a worn suspension component causing abnormal camber. The tyre pressure monitoring system was flagged as malfunctioning in March 2025, and while it did not appear in the 2026 failure, the lamp was illuminated during the pre-pass test, indicating the fault may not have been fully resolved. Brake components did not feature in the recent failures, but the rear brakes should still be inspected for binding or uneven wear given the rear axle defects. The exhaust flexi joint leak noted in March 2024 may have been repaired, but a buyer should verify the full exhaust system for corrosion, particularly around joints and mounting points.