2009 Fiat 500 1.2L Petrol · AM59 NDO

This 2009 FIAT 500 presents a mixed but broadly stable maintenance picture, with the most recent test on 9 December 2025 at 116,703 miles passing with only minor advisories. Nearside front inner brake pads were flagged as wearing thin, and a minor exhaust gas leak at the manifold gasket was noted. Neither defect suggests imminent mechanical failure, but both indicate the car is entering a phase where consumable wear and age-related sealing issues are becoming more frequent. The trend is not worsening sharply, yet it is far from pristine. Corrosion, brake wear, and exhaust leaks have recurred across multiple years, pointing to a vehicle that has been kept running rather than cosmetically restored or preemptively repaired. The mileage progression tells a story of consistent but modest use. Between 6 December 2023 at 99,124 miles and 12 December 2024 at 107,948 miles, the car covered 8,824 miles in roughly one year. That then dropped to 8,755 miles in the twelve months leading to the December 2025 test. Annual figures sit close to the typical 6,865-mile average for a 17-year-old car, though the recent two-year window shows slightly higher accumulation. There are no alarming gaps or sudden jumps in the record, and the mileage progression appears genuine rather than artificially suppressed. Buyers should focus their physical inspection on the front suspension and brake components. Corroded front and rear coil springs were flagged in both December 2023 tests, and while corrosion alone does not always mean structural compromise, it does raise legitimate concern about long-term spring integrity, especially on a small city car likely exposed to road salt. The anti-roll bar linkage ball joint was flagged as likely to become detached during the December 2023 failure, and although that appears to have been addressed, any clunking or vague handling during a test drive warrants a thorough check of front-end linkages and bushes. Brake pads have worn thin enough to trigger advisories in both 2024 and 2025, suggesting either a driving style that loads the front axle hard or calipers that are not releasing cleanly. Inspect the front discs for lipping and uneven wear, and check whether the rear brakes are contributing their fair share of stopping effort. The exhaust system deserves close attention. A minor gas leak at the manifold gasket appeared in the December 2025 pass, while the December 2023 failure flagged leaks at both the rear joint and front flexi joint, along with a blocked rear silencer preventing an emissions read. That combination suggests the exhaust has been deteriorating progressively rather than failing catastrophically. A bore scope inspection of the rear box and a careful check of the flexi joint for cracking would be prudent. Tyre condition has also been inconsistent, with the offside rear tyre failing tread depth requirements in 2024 and showing perishing in 2023. This pattern hints at uneven rotation or prolonged standing, so check all four sidewalls for age cracking regardless of remaining tread.