MOT advisories

kevins12

Hi, I'm looking at a 2010 Ford Ka 1242 Grand Prix Individual, inside and out it looks perfect (from the pictures)

I've looked at the MOT history and since it was first registered its only showing 1 MOT in 2023 with these advisories

• Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.1.3 (b) (i))
• Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))
• Nearside outer sill corroded heavily

The asking price is £1,950, I was just wandering if the advisories are economical to fix

facade

That shape Ka is well known for rust!

Unless you are handy with a welder and are fixing it yourself I'd steer clear. The rust on the advisory is likely the tip of the iceberg, and paying for a good repair is expensive.

Again, why is there only 1 MOT? Or do you mean all the others are advisory free and passed first time?

Mildly_Miffed

It's not the original 1990s shortened Fiesta Ka - that LOVED to rot, but went out of production in 2008.

It's the newer restyled Fiat PandaKa. They're nowhere near as rot-prone as the older ones were.

The balljoints are just consumables, a routine part of car ownership.
The sill... depends. Could be effectively terminal, could just need a clean up and a coat of paint and wax to see the car out.

kinger101

They probably will need fixing before the next MOT but it might not. Equally, there might be something else that does.  As above, even routine maintenance can add up.

You don't state mileage or condition but 2 grand for a 14 year old entry level Ford is too much.  At that age, I would expect a major job every MOT.

Goudy

Yes that's the Fiat Panda/500 based KA.
The engine will be pretty good but the gearbox input shaft bearing is a weak point on some.

kevins12 said:

• Nearside outer sill corroded heavily

This is all Ford though.
If you take the door seal off, the lip that the seal fits too will be very rusty.

Water gets into the join of the sill, under the door seal and rots the inner and outer sill.

You can weld a patch into the outer sill but the rot will eat into the inner sill where the car's strength is.