2015 Ford Fiesta 1.2L Petrol · UU51 HER

A clear pattern of front-end steering and suspension wear sits at the centre of this Fiesta's mechanical history, with a single but significant failure on 7 June 2024 that resulted in four Major defects before the vehicle was presented and passed three days later on 10 June 2024. Both nearside and offside front track rod end ball joints were recorded with excessive play, alongside both front anti-roll bar drop link ball joints showing excessive wear, indicating that the entire front steering and anti-roll assembly had reached the end of its service life at that point. Despite this cluster of Majors, the remainder of the MOT record is uniformly clean, with passes in 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025, and most recently on 4 August 2026 carrying no advisories, and the earlier 7 October 2021 test had already flagged the offside track rod end with slight play as a precursor. The trend overall is stable in the sense that nothing has recurred since the 2024 rectification, but the buyer should be aware that front suspension components were replaced only two years and roughly a few thousand miles ago, which is useful reference data when judging current condition. The recorded mileage of 55,853 miles across approximately eleven years equates to an annual accumulation of roughly 5,000 miles, which is low for a Fiesta of this vintage and consistent with modest commuter or short-journey use rather than sustained motorway mileage. There are no unusual gaps in the testing record, with annual or near-annual tests from 2020 through to the present date, suggesting the vehicle has remained in regular use rather than being laid up for extended periods, which reduces the likelihood of dormant issues such as seized brake calipers, perished cooling system hoses, or chronic 12V battery degradation. That said, the relatively low annual mileage still warrants attention to age-sensitive consumables that may have deteriorated through time rather than wear, particularly tyres, brake fluid, and the coolant, although nothing specific has been flagged in the MOT data itself. For a prospective buyer, the priorities on inspection are the front suspension and steering geometry, given that the track rod ends and anti-roll bar drop links were replaced en masse in mid-2024. On a test drive, listen for any clonking or knocking from the front end over speed humps, uneven road surfaces, or when turning the steering from lock to lock at low speed, as this would indicate premature wear of the replacement components or that adjacent parts such as the anti-roll bar bushes, wishbone bushes, or coil springs have begun to deteriorate. Check that the steering returns to centre smoothly without a knocking sensation through the rack, and that the front wheels respond evenly during on-road driving, since excessive free play in the steering before the slack is taken up would suggest further wear of the track rod inner joints rather than just the outer ends previously replaced. The 2021 advisory regarding the nearside front and rear tyres being worn close to the legal limit on their edges also deserves a brief check, as edge wear on a front tyre typically points to incorrect tracking, worn suspension bushes allowing camber misalignment, or insufficient rotation, and the buyer should inspect the current tyres for uneven inner or outer shoulder wear. With the brake system, no defects or advisories have ever been recorded, but the discs and pads should still be physically inspected for lipping on the front disc edges, binding calipers revealed by uneven pad transfer, and a firm, non-spongy brake pedal feel under repeated application. Finally, confirm that the underside of the vehicle is dry and free from oil misting around the engine and gearbox joints, and that the exhaust is solid under load, as the MOT test does not cover non-safety-related mechanical integrity beyond emissions and visible structural condition.