2012 Nissan Leaf Electricity · VE62 AEV

The 2012 Nissan Leaf holds a valid MOT pass certificate dated 9 April 2026 at 69,721 miles, but the maintenance trend is not reassuring. That same day the vehicle failed a test at 69,720 miles with a nearside front track rod end ball joint exhibiting excessive play, an offside front lower suspension arm ball joint dust cover split, and a perished nearside rear tyre. The pass recorded later that day indicates the tester flagged the tyre as an advisory only, while the suspension and steering defects were rectified before the retest. However, the underlying pattern is one of recurring steering and suspension wear that has been present for at least two years and has progressed from slight play to excessive play between the March 2025 and April 2026 tests. The mileage profile is low for a fourteen-year-old vehicle, averaging roughly 4,980 miles per year. The record shows a gap of nearly two years between the February 2024 pass at 64,627 miles and the March 2025 failure at 66,937 miles, representing only 2,310 miles in that period. A further 2,784 miles were covered between March 2025 and April 2026. This is consistent with light, possibly short-trip urban use, which can be harder on suspension bushes and rubber components than steady longer journeys because of repeated low-speed impacts and prolonged static periods that accelerate perishing of rubber dust covers and tyre sidewalls. A buyer should inspect the front suspension and steering with particular care. The nearside front track rod end ball joint has been flagged for play in both the March 2025 and April 2026 tests, with the defect escalating from slight to excessive play over roughly 13 months. Even though it was rectified for the latest pass, the underlying wear pattern suggests the steering rack inner joint, also flagged in March 2025, may still be contributing to uneven loading on the track rod end. Have a garage put the vehicle on a ramp and check for play in the track rod ends, rack inner joints, and the condition of the lower suspension arm ball joint dust covers on both sides. The nearside rear tyre was flagged for cracking and perishing in April 2026, which is consistent with the low annual mileage and long periods of standing. Inspect all four tyres for sidewall age cracking, not just tread depth, and check the date codes to confirm they are not aged beyond six years. The offside front lower suspension arm ball joint dust cover was split in both the March 2025 and April 2026 failures, a recurring defect that points to either a poor-quality replacement or an underlying suspension geometry issue causing premature rubber fatigue. Verify whether the ball joint itself has been replaced or simply the gaiter, and look for any play in the joint. Given the electric drivetrain, there are no exhaust emissions or clutch concerns to evaluate, but the repeated front-end wear on a low-mileage car suggests a previous owner who addressed failures only when the MOT demanded it rather than maintaining the vehicle proactively.