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R501 FDM

1997 Ford Explorer

Blue Petrol 4008cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires31 Jan 2012
Tests12 (7 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate58.3%

Mileage

172,626 mi
Last recorded172,626 miles
Recorded on1 Feb 2011
Typical for 1997 Ford Explorer95,460 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Ford
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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR501 FDM
MakeFord
ModelExplorer
Year1997
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine4,008cc

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

7 pass 5 fail
Pass 1 Feb 2011 172,626 miles

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

o/s front brake disc pitted

o/s front brake slightly binding

Pass 8 Jul 2010 171,552 miles

Battery insecure

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Drive belt deteriorated

Engine management light on

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

Front and rear brake discs deteriorated

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight external damage to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside and offside rear spring saddle mounts corroded

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Oil leak

Rattle from engine compartment

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Fail 5 Jul 2010 171,552 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.B.6d) DANGEROUS

Battery insecure

Centre Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Drive belt deteriorated

Engine management light on

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

Front and rear brake discs deteriorated

Fuel pipe/s corroded

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight external damage to the casing (2.7.2a)

Nearside and offside rear spring saddle mounts corroded

Offside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Oil leak

Rattle from engine compartment

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

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Pass 3 Jul 2009 162,074 miles

Battery insecure

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Fail 2 Jul 2009 162,074 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage fractured (2.4.G.1)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Leaf spring shackle bracket corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.B.6d) DANGEROUS

Battery insecure

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has slight corrosion to the casing (2.7.2a)

Pass 5 Sep 2008 154,671 miles

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Fail 29 Aug 2008 154,611 miles

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 31 Aug 2007 149,571 miles

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

Fail 21 Aug 2007

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 14 Aug 2006 142,867 miles

power steering pipes corroded

Pass 5 Oct 2005 153,739 miles
Fail 3 Oct 2005 133,738 miles

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

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

Offside Front Front suspension has slight play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

most brake pipes covered cant see to test

power steering pipes starting to corroed

How Reliable is the Ford Explorer?

Based on 69,767 MOT tests across 7,490 vehicles.

68.5%
Pass Rate
4,557
Miles/Year
29
Year Lifespan
7,490
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Brake pipe excessively corroded 5,568
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 3,403
Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint 2,515
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 2,513
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,251
Full Ford Explorer reliability report

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R501 FDM is a 1997 Ford Explorer in Blue with a 4,008cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 12 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 58.3%.

Across all 1997 Ford Explorer models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.7% with a typical mileage of 95,460 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Ford Explorer fails its MOT is brake pipe excessively corroded, accounting for 5,568 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R501 FDM, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R501 FDM?

You can check the full history of R501 FDM by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R501 FDM registered?

R501 FDM is a 1997 Ford Explorer, first registered on 28 November 1997.

Is R501 FDM safe to buy?

The MOT history for R501 FDM shows 12 tests with a 58.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R501 FDM 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 R501 FDM. 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.