A month ago I nearly sold my van to a bandmate, but he decided it was too big. Three days later we had a sharp cold snap and the temperature dropped to minus three overnight.
Next morning the brakes failed completely and without warning. Turned out the alloy brake lines were all corroded, but they worked fine until the cold made them brittle, then they all snapped the first time I braked.
I dread to think how it would have looked if I had sold that van to a good friend, especially if he wasn't driving slowly when the brakes failed.
With old vans (mine is 2005) this sort of sh*t goes with the territory, and unlucky coincidences do happen.
Sell it for spares and walk away.