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R179 VHJ

1997 Ford Puma

Red Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires24 Mar 2027
Tests27 (19 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate70.4%

Mileage

92,522 mi
Last recorded92,522 miles
Recorded on25 Mar 2026
Typical for 1997 Ford Puma65,014 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Ford
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR179 VHJ
MakeFord
ModelPuma
Year1997
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

19 pass 8 fail
Pass 25 Mar 2026 92,522 miles
Pass 25 Mar 2025 90,529 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Oct 2023 90,494 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt both (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Inner Vehicle structure or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Offside Rear Seat belt retracting mechanism defective (7.1.2 (e))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases joint (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Oct 2022 83,407 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear boot floor corroded.

Rear strut top mounts worn.

Fail 3 Oct 2022 83,407 miles

Nearside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Mounting bush. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn Mounting bush. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear boot floor corroded.

Rear strut top mounts worn.

Pass 1 Nov 2021 77,931 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Trailing arm. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Trailing arm. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Top mount.

Fail 9 Jul 2021 77,930 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Nail in tyre ()

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (7.1.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Rear Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement trailing arm bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Jul 2020 73,745 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Pass 1 Aug 2019 70,763 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

slight corrosion on off side front inner sill.

Pass 24 Jul 2018 66,960 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Pass 8 Aug 2017 63,127 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 17 Jul 2017 63,119 miles

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded door shut area (5.2.6)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded floor (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive sill (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 13 Jul 2016 58,249 miles

near side rear and off side rear suspension mounting area corroded.

Pass 21 Jul 2015 55,369 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Fail 20 Jul 2015 55,369 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Pass 6 Aug 2014 49,540 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2014 49,524 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Nearside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

Offside Headlamp excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Oil leak

Pass 30 Jul 2013 42,355 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 6 Aug 2012 36,993 miles

Nearside Headlamp damaged but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Headlamp has a product on the light source but not seriously reducing light output (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 4 Aug 2011 29,376 miles

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Fail 3 Aug 2011 29,369 miles

Nearside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 23 Aug 2010 24,061 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 24 Aug 2009 17,952 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 30 Jul 2008 11,221 miles
Pass 20 Aug 2007 6,380 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2007 6,371 miles

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 4 Aug 2006 97,794 miles

How Reliable is the Ford Puma?

Based on 713,333 MOT tests across 56,808 vehicles.

67.2%
Pass Rate
5,410
Miles/Year
29
Year Lifespan
56,808
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 62,649
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 45,167
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 24,837
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 23,649
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 20,373
Full Ford Puma reliability report

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R179 VHJ is a 1997 Ford Puma in Red with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.4%.

Across all 1997 Ford Puma models, the average MOT pass rate is 61.2% with a typical mileage of 65,014 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Ford Puma fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 62,649 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R179 VHJ, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Puma typically stays on UK roads for around 29 years. At 29 years old, this Ford Puma is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R179 VHJ?

You can check the full history of R179 VHJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R179 VHJ registered?

R179 VHJ is a 1997 Ford Puma, first registered on 1 August 1997.

Is R179 VHJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for R179 VHJ shows 27 tests with a 70.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R179 VHJ have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on R179 VHJ. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.