2017 Nissan Qashqai 1.5L Diesel · VF17 TPU

The vehicle maintains a roadworthy status, though the maintenance history shows a trend of deferred minor mechanical repairs. The most recent test in July 2025 at 51,700 miles recorded a failure for a severely deteriorated nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover. This specific issue was a recurring defect from the July 2024 test at 39,423 miles, indicating that the owner failed to address a known suspension component despite it being flagged a year prior. The mileage profile is low for a nine-year-old vehicle, averaging approximately 5,700 miles per year. There is a notable gap in usage between February 2021 and February 2022, where the car covered only 6,251 miles. However, the usage increased significantly between early 2023 and 2025, with 16,417 miles covered in those two years. This surge in activity coincides with the February 2023 advisory where three tyres were found worn to the legal limit, suggesting a period of higher use and potentially neglected maintenance between test intervals. A buyer should physically inspect the front suspension assembly to ensure the anti-roll bar linkages were actually replaced and not merely adjusted or ignored. The recurring nature of the dust cover failure suggests lack of proactive attention to rubber-based suspension components. Given the low mileage and the age of the vehicle, an inspector should also check for surface corrosion on the brake discs and perished bushings, which are common in cars that sit for long periods or are driven infrequently in varying conditions.