2014 Alfa Romeo Mito 0.9L Petrol · YH14 VGO

The Alfa Romeo Mito presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent test on 26 September 2025 at 53,244 miles passed cleanly, but it followed a failure just two days prior on 24 September 2025 at the same recorded mileage. That failure flagged a major exhaust gas leak at the front flexi joint, an out-of-spec lambda reading after the second fast idle, and a deteriorated offside front track rod end ball joint dust cover. The fact that all three defects were rectified within 48 hours suggests the previous owner addressed them promptly rather than ignoring them. The trend is therefore stable rather than worsening, though the exhaust emissions failure indicates the engine management or catalytic converter system may have been running inefficiently before the repair. The mileage pattern is notably unusual. Between 23 September 2022 at 28,174 miles and 25 September 2024 at 43,894 miles, the car covered 15,720 miles in two years, averaging roughly 7,860 miles annually. Yet between 25 September 2024 and 24 September 2025, the odometer moved from 43,894 to 53,244 miles, a jump of 9,350 miles in under twelve months. The recorded mileage then remained static at 53,244 through both the failed and passed tests in September 2025, and no further tests appear since. This plateau raises the possibility that the vehicle has been standing or that the most recent mileage entry may not reflect genuine use. A buyer should verify whether the car has been garaged for long periods, as prolonged inactivity can cause brake seizure, tyre flat-spotting, and fuel system deterioration. The recurring advisory on nearside rear tyre wear, flagged in the September 2025 pass, points to a possible alignment or suspension geometry issue on that corner. Combined with the track rod end dust cover deterioration noted in the failure, the front-end steering and suspension components deserve close physical inspection. Check the nearside rear tyre for inner edge wear, examine the rear suspension bushes and shock absorbers for play, and confirm the front track rod ends are free of excessive movement. The exhaust flexi joint leak and lambda fault, while apparently repaired, warrant a cold-start inspection to confirm the front downpipe and flexi section are intact and that the lambda sensors are functioning correctly with no stored fault codes. Given the low annual mileage of roughly 4,437 miles over the vehicle's twelve-year life, structural corrosion is a legitimate concern despite the clean MOT record. Inspect the subframes, sills, brake lines, and fuel lines for surface corrosion or pitting, particularly if the car has been stored in damp conditions. The two-day turnaround between failure and pass is encouraging, but a pre-purchase inspection with a diagnostic scan for live lambda and catalyst efficiency data would provide the clearest picture of the engine's current health.