2009 Ford Fiesta 1.2L Petrol · CA09 FMM

The defining mechanical story of this 2009 Ford Fiesta centres on a history that is largely compliant but punctuated by a serious front suspension failure in late 2023 and a growing cluster of advisories pointing to chassis and brake wear. The most recent test on 11 November 2025 returned a clean pass with no advisories recorded, which is encouraging, yet the previous test a year earlier carried five separate advisories covering both rear tyres, front brake discs, a corroded front coil spring, and play in the steering rack inner joint. The November 2023 entry is the most significant item in the file: the car was presented six days apart that month, passing on the 30th after having failed on the 24th with a Dangerous defect for a nearside front suspension arm ball joint likely to become detached, accompanied by a Major for excessive wear on the offside front equivalent. That failure represents a critical safety event which should be reconciled with the car's otherwise consistent pass record across 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. A 2020 headlamp failure was comparatively minor, and the 2022 advisories included the first mention of corrosion beginning on the offside rear outer sill, an early-stage structural concern worth monitoring on a seventeen year old car. Recorded mileage of 100,616 against an annual accumulation rate of roughly 5,919 miles is low for the vehicle's age and points to either genuinely light usage or extended periods of standing. There are no obvious gaps in the testing record, with annual MOT entries stretching back consecutively, which suggests the car has been in regular use rather than laid up for any multi-year stretch. Low annual mileage typically reduces wear on major drivetrain components such as the engine, clutch, and gearbox internals, but it can accelerate deterioration in areas that suffer from lack of use, including brake discs corroding on the face and pads seizing in the calipers, suspension bushes drying and cracking, and underbody components such as brake lines, fuel lines, and exhaust hangers corroding through lack of protective use on wet roads. The advisories recorded in 2024 align closely with this pattern: pitted front discs, a corroded coil spring, and rear tyre perishing all develop readily on a car that is exercised gently rather than driven hard on long runs. The first recorded appearance of sill corrosion in 2022 is an early warning that the underside may be progressing toward the structural integrity thresholds applied in later MOT tests, particularly given the Fiesta's known vulnerability in the rear sill, wheel arch, and suspension turret areas. A prospective buyer should focus the physical inspection on the specific components flagged in this record. The front suspension ball joints that failed dangerously in 2023 are the priority item: the replacement should be confirmed with paperwork, and on a test drive any clonking or knocking from the front end over speed bumps, potholes, or uneven tarmac should be treated as an immediate red flag. The steering rack inner joint play noted in 2024 warrants turning the wheel lock to lock while stationary and listening for any knocking, as well as feeling for vagueness or looseness through the rack on a straight road. The front brake discs that were pitted in 2024 should be inspected through the wheel for visible lip formation at the outer edge and any ridging or scoring across the disc face, while a test drive should confirm there is no judder through the pedal under firm braking. The corroded nearside front coil spring should prompt a close look at both front springs for cracking or flaking paint, and any sagging of the vehicle's stance at the front should be noted. Finally, the offside rear outer sill flagged in 2022 must be examined with a torch and ideally placed on a ramp, as corrosion that is merely starting at one test can advance significantly over a year of winter road salt exposure, and any bubbling under the rear wheel arch trim, soft metal when probed, or evidence of previous filler repair should be treated as a serious negotiating point or a basis to walk away.