2010 Ford Fiesta 1.2L Petrol · YR10 FDM

A clear pattern of front suspension wear emerges from this Ford Fiesta's MOT history, with the front suspension arm ball joints recorded as excessively worn on both sides at the February 2024 test, alongside a non-functional windscreen washer and an inoperative nearside dipped beam headlamp. Although the car subsequently passed an MoT in July 2025, the same test issued advisories for slight play in the nearside front anti-roll bar ball joint and in the steering linkage ball joint inner bush, together with rear axle swivel pins and bushes showing slight wear on both sides. Taken together, these entries point to a vehicle with progressively deteriorating steering and suspension joints, where the 2024 major defects were rectified to pass but the underlying wear pattern remains evident in the most recent advisories. The rear exhaust has also attracted attention in successive tests, with a noted joint leak in 2024 and a minor backbox gas leak in 2025, indicating an exhaust system that may be approaching the point of requiring replacement rather than repair. The recorded mileage of 92,891 miles across sixteen years equates to an average annual accumulation of roughly 5,800 miles, which is notably low for a Fiesta of this vintage and consistent with light, predominantly short-journey use. The testing record itself spans only from February 2023 to July 2025, with multiple tests clustered on identical dates in 2023 and 2024, and no recorded tests prior to 2023 despite the vehicle's age, which suggests either a long period off the road without testing or a gap in the documented history. Mechanically, such a low annual mileage and the absence of recorded tests for the first twelve years of the vehicle's life mean that consumables can degrade through lack of use as well as wear, with particular implications for brake components seizing through corrosion, rubber bushes perishing and cracking from underuse, and the 12V battery suffering reduced service life. The advisories recorded on the braking system and suspension bushes are entirely consistent with the sort of age-related deterioration that arises when a vehicle is used only intermittently. A prospective buyer should pay particular attention to the front suspension during a physical inspection, as the ball joint wear flagged in 2024 represents a failure item that can recur relatively soon if replacement components were not fitted or if inferior pattern parts were used. On the move, listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front wheels when traversing speed humps or uneven surfaces, feel for any vagueness or wandering in the steering, and check for uneven front tyre wear on the inner or outer edges, as the 2023 advisory specifically noted inner-edge wear. With the rear axle swivel pins and bushes flagged in 2025, listen for any rear-end clonking over bumps and inspect the tyres for uneven rear wear, while also confirming that the steering returns crisply to centre without sticking. Brake pedal feel warrants close assessment too, given the 2024 advisory on thinning front pads, with any sponginess, excessive travel, pulling to one side under braking, or binding calipers warranting further investigation before purchase. Finally, the lighting and washer defects from the 2024 failure are relatively straightforward to verify, but they underscore the importance of confirming that all exterior lamps, including the nearside dipped beam, are fully operational and that the washer system delivers fluid to both the front and rear screens. The exhaust advisories should prompt a check for audible blowing or ticking from beneath the vehicle when warm, particularly around the backbox and the joint ahead of it, and a visual inspection from underneath for surface corrosion or hanging sections. Given the multi-year testing gap and the low recorded annual mileage, any rubber gaiters, driveshaft boots, and suspension bushes should be examined for perishing and cracking, and the handbrake operation verified as cables and mechanisms can seize on lightly used cars. A thorough pre-purchase inspection on a ramp is strongly advisable for this vehicle, given the documented history of suspension joint wear and the likelihood that further components will require attention in the near term.