2009 Hyundai I20 1.4L Petrol · DN59 FPO

The 2009 Hyundai i20 presents a generally stable mechanical picture through five consecutive clean annual tests, but the most recent MOT on 19 November 2025 at 53,352 miles introduced two fresh advisories that break that pattern. Both front tyres were flagged for damage, cracking or perishing, and the offside front inner steering rack joint showed play. These are minor items in isolation, yet they mark the first recorded defects since November 2021 and suggest the car may have spent extended periods stationary or received less attentive tyre and steering checks in the preceding year. The mileage profile is notably low for a seventeen-year-old vehicle. Between November 2021 at 35,299 miles and November 2024 at 49,604 miles, the car covered roughly 14,305 miles over three years, averaging around 4,768 miles annually. That rose sharply in the final year, with 3,748 miles added between November 2024 and November 2025. The long gap of minimal use likely explains the perished front tyres, as rubber deteriorates with age and ozone exposure regardless of tread depth. The steering rack play could equally stem from prolonged static loading or simply from the joint reaching the end of its service life at this mileage. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and steering linkage. Check the inner and outer track rod ends, the rack bellows for splits that would admit water, and the lower suspension arms and bushes for deterioration linked to the car's age rather than its mileage. Examine the subframe and inner wing arches for corrosion, since low-mileage cars that sit unused can trap moisture in undersealed areas. The advisories from the November 2025 test are not structural failures, but they do indicate that routine consumable and joint inspections may have lagged during the period of lighter use.