2009 Subaru Forester 2.5L Petrol · CE09 ODY

The 2009 Subaru Forester passed its most recent MOT on 27 October 2022 at 128,875 miles, with only a minor windscreen chip recorded as an advisory. However, the maintenance trend across the preceding eighteen months is decidedly mixed. The vehicle failed on 30 August 2022 at 126,831 miles with a cluster of faults spanning emissions, lighting, suspension, and tyres, then failed again the following month on 13 September 2022 at 127,194 miles on exhaust emissions alone before finally passing two weeks later. The pattern suggests the owner addressed immediate failures reactively rather than undertaking a thorough preventative overhaul, and no MOT has been recorded since October 2022, meaning the vehicle has now been untested for nearly four years as of June 2026. The mileage progression tells a clear story of a car that has been largely stationary in recent years. Between the August 2021 pass at 114,522 miles and the August 2022 failure at 126,831 miles, the Forester covered roughly 12,300 miles in twelve months, consistent with the 7,500-mile annual average typical for a vehicle of this age. Yet between October 2022 and today, the recorded mileage has not moved beyond 128,875. This near-total stagnation over almost four years raises questions about whether the vehicle has been in regular use, garaged, or simply unused. Prolonged standing carries its own risks, including flat-spotted tyres, seized brake calipers, deteriorating rubber bushes, and fuel system condensation. A buyer should approach this Forester with particular attention to the components that have historically drawn defects. The repeated headlamp aim and levelling faults, including a broken offside front suspension sensor linkage flagged in August 2021 and again in August 2022, point to a vulnerability in the front suspension and self-levelling system that warrants a close physical inspection of the headlamp levening linkages, suspension sensors, and associated wiring. The nearside rear wheel bearing play and the worn offside rear tyre noted in August 2022 suggest the rear axle and tyre condition should be checked for ongoing deterioration, especially given the vehicle's prolonged stationary period. The exhaust emissions failures on CO and Lambda readings across two consecutive tests indicate a combustion or catalytic converter issue that may have been temporarily resolved but could have regressed. Beyond the recorded faults, a thorough underbody inspection is essential. Seventeen years of use, even at modest mileage, exposes a vehicle of this age to corrosion on subframes, sills, and brake lines, particularly on a Subaru platform driven in UK road conditions. The front anti-roll bar linkage ball joints flagged as excessively worn in August 2021, combined with the broken headlamp levelling linkage, suggest the front-end suspension components have seen meaningful wear and may need renewed attention. Brake condition, fluid freshness, and tyre age should all be verified, as a car sitting unused for extended periods can develop seized calipers, perished hoses, and aged rubber even if mileage has not increased.