2008 Ford Kuga 2.0L Diesel · YY08 TYA

The 2008 Ford Kuga presents a broadly stable maintenance picture, having passed its most recent MOT on 5 March 2026 at 171,542 miles. That test flagged offside play in the steering rack inner joint, a recurring issue that has appeared on and off since January 2023. The trend is neither sharply worsening nor fully resolving. The car has consistently passed, but the same steering rack concern keeps resurfacing, suggesting the inner joints are wearing gradually rather than failing catastrophically. A binding offside rear service brake noted in January 2023 did not reappear in later tests, which is encouraging, though the minor exhaust gas leak recorded in February 2024 also went unmentioned thereafter, possibly addressed informally between tests. The mileage accumulation is steady and unremarkable for an eighteen-year-old vehicle. Between the December 2021 test at 127,539 miles and the March 2026 test at 171,542 miles, the car covered 44,003 miles across roughly four years and three months, averaging around 10,300 miles annually. That sits comfortably within the typical range of 9,500 miles per year suggested by the overall age-to-mileage ratio. There are no alarming gaps in the record that would imply long periods of disuse or sudden high-mileage bursts, and the annual test intervals are consistent, indicating regular use and at least baseline upkeep. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the steering rack and front suspension. Play in the inner track rod ends has been flagged in three of the last five tests, sometimes on the nearside, sometimes offside, and most recently on the offside alone. This pattern points to progressive wear across both sides rather than a single isolated failure. Check for clunking over uneven surfaces and excessive free play at the wheel. The repeated windscreen damage advisories, while minor, suggest the car has lived on roads that chip glass or that the screen has been replaced with aftermarket units that do not always meet optical standards. Inspect the screen carefully for distortion, especially in the driver's primary line of sight. Underneath, look at the rear braking system and the exhaust. The binding offside rear caliper noted in January 2023 may have been freed, but uneven pad wear or a dragging handbrake cable should be checked. The minor exhaust leak from February 2024 could have been a loose clamp or a hairline crack in a joint that was patched rather than replaced. Inspect the full exhaust for fresh sealant, mismatched clamps, or corrosion around the flexi-joint and manifold. At this mileage, suspension bushes, coil springs, and drop links are all well within their expected wear window, so a thorough bounce test and visual check for perishing or cracking is advisable before committing.