2012 Peugeot 308 1.6L Diesel · WM62 VFV

The 2012 Peugeot 308 holds a valid MOT issued on 9 December 2025, passing at 132,073 miles. The maintenance trend is broadly stable but punctuated by a notable failure in November 2025, just two weeks prior, where the tester flagged a fractured offside rear coil spring and an inoperative engine MIL. Both defects were rectified before the December retest, suggesting the previous owner addressed critical safety items promptly. However, the recurring offside registration plate lamp fault, present across three consecutive tests since November 2024, indicates a minor electrical issue that has persisted without resolution. The mileage record shows a clear acceleration in use over the vehicle's life. Between November 2022 and November 2023, the car covered roughly 10,067 miles, increasing to approximately 13,113 miles in the following year, and then jumping to 12,747 miles in the single year leading to November 2024. The most striking anomaly is the mere 3-mile gap between the November 2025 failure and the December 2025 pass, confirming the mileage is genuine and the vehicle has remained in active, high-mileage service right up to the present day. This pattern implies sustained motorway or long-distance use, which typically favours mechanical longevity but places higher demand on consumables. A buyer should pay close attention to the front suspension and steering components. The November 2025 failure identified a severely deteriorated offside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover, a defect that allows ingress of dirt and water, accelerating wear on the joint itself. Combined with the fractured coil spring that appeared and was fixed within the same period, the suspension has shown signs of fatigue typical of a 14-year-old car at this mileage. Inspect the front subframe, lower arms, and track rod ends for play, and check the condition of the remaining coil springs for any hairline cracks or corrosion. The braking system warrants a thorough physical inspection. The November 2023 test recorded worn and pitted front brake discs alongside thin pads, yet no further brake defects appeared in subsequent tests, implying the items were replaced. Given the high mileage and the potential for repeated heat cycles, a buyer should verify the current thickness of both discs and pads, and check for any uneven wear or binding at the rear calipers. The persistent registration plate lamp fault, while minor, points to a possible wiring or ground fault in the rear lamp cluster that could indicate deeper electrical corrosion, particularly around the boot hinge area common on this generation 308.