2009 Bentley Continental 6.0L Petrol · DAV 335S

The 2009 Bentley Continental currently holds a clean MOT, having passed on 10 June 2026 at 118,165 miles with zero defects recorded. That fresh pass represents a notable improvement over the preceding test cycle, where the car failed on 17 June 2025 at 116,688 miles due to ineffective wipers and low washer fluid, then passed the retest the same day once those minor items were addressed. The maintenance trend over the past four years is broadly stable to improving. Brake disc wear and front suspension bush degradation have been recurring advisories since at least 2022, but the June 2026 clean sheet suggests the owner has recently attended to these known weak points. The vehicle has covered 118,165 miles over roughly 17 years, averaging approximately 6,951 miles per year, which is typical for a grand tourer of this age. The mileage progression is consistent and well-documented, with no suspicious gaps or sudden accumulation. Between the May 2022 test at 111,565 miles and the February 2023 test at 116,522 miles, the car added 4,957 miles in nine months, then slowed to just 166 miles over the following two and a half years before resuming a steadier pace toward the current 118,165 miles. This pattern suggests a period of light use or storage followed by a return to regular driving. Prospective buyers should focus their physical inspection on the front suspension, where both nearside and offside upper suspension arm bushes have been flagged as worn in multiple consecutive tests spanning 2025. While the wear was not deemed severe enough to cause excessive movement, persistent advisories of this nature often point to components approaching the end of their serviceable life. The front brake discs have appeared on the record consistently since 2022, initially noted as pitted and scored, then later as worn but not excessively. A hands-on check of disc thickness, lip condition, and pad depth is advisable. The offside front tyre has repeatedly worn unevenly on its inner edge, a pattern typically associated with tracking misalignment or worn suspension geometry components that may not yet be flagged as a failure. Beyond the documented items, a thorough underbody inspection for corrosion is prudent on a Bentley Continental of this vintage, particularly around subframes, sills, and suspension mounting points. The exhaust system and its mountings should also be examined, as high-value cars that stand for extended periods can develop surface corrosion in exhaust components that may not yet trigger a failure. The clean June 2026 result is encouraging, but the recurring nature of the suspension and braking advisories across multiple test cycles indicates a buyer should budget for preventive renewal of front bushes and brake components in the near term.