2009 FORD FIESTA1.4L DIESEL

The 2009 Ford Fiesta passed its most recent MOT on 25 September 2025 at 196,063 miles, but the record reveals a pattern of deferred maintenance rather than consistent upkeep. The day before that pass, the car failed on a missing offside front steering rack gaiter, worn front brake pads, and a rear indicator with incorrect colour. These are not complex failures, yet they suggest basic servicing was neglected until the MOT forced a fix. The windscreen damage advisory carried forward from the 2024 failure remains unresolved, which points to a cosmetic and minor safety item being tolerated rather than repaired. Overall the maintenance trend is borderline stable, with the car being patched through each test rather than proactively maintained. Mileage accumulation tells a clear story. Between 2 October 2023 at 153,750 miles and 2 October 2024 at 173,784 miles, the car covered 20,034 miles in twelve months, then effectively recorded no further mileage between that date and 25 September 2025 at 196,063 miles. That jump of 22,279 miles in under twelve months indicates sustained high use over the last two years, consistent with roughly 11,500 miles per annum across the car’s life. The MOT frequency itself is tight, with tests clustered in late September and early October each year, so there is no evidence of long untested gaps. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and steering, given the 2024 failure for an excessively worn nearside lower suspension arm ball joint and the 2025 failure for a missing steering rack gaiter. Even though both were rectified for the pass, the gaiter absence would have allowed dirt ingress into the rack, so check for uneven steering feel, knocks, or fluid leaks around the rack boots. The repeated brake-related findings, worn front pads in 2025 and worn or pitted front discs noted as an advisory in 2023, suggest the braking system has been run close to minimum thickness repeatedly. Inspect disc condition, pad depth, and caliper operation, particularly for a binding rear caliper tendency given the high mileage. Finally, verify the windscreen damage noted in both 2024 and 2025 has not propagated beyond the driver’s line of sight, and confirm all lamps and indicators function correctly, as electrical minor faults have recurred.