2009 Mercedes-Benz CLC 1.8L Petrol · EO59 BUE

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLC presents a mixed but broadly stable maintenance picture as of its most recent MOT on 7 May 2026 at 84,402 miles. That test passed, but the tester flagged the offside front tyre as both perished and worn close to the legal limit on the edge, indicating deferred attention to a basic consumable. The overall trend is neither clearly worsening nor resolving. A clean pass on 17 February 2025 at 76,366 miles was preceded by a failure just seven days earlier on 10 February 2025 at 76,320 miles, where both front lower suspension arm ball joints were excessively worn and the offside rear inner tyre was below 1.6mm. The rapid retest suggests those items were rectified, yet the underlying pattern of suspension wear and recurring tyre advisories points to a vehicle that has not been consistently maintained to a high standard. The mileage profile is notably low for a seventeen-year-old car. Between 3 March 2023 at 68,669 miles and 7 May 2026 at 84,402 miles, the vehicle covered roughly 15,733 miles in just over three years, averaging around 5,200 miles annually. The gap between the February 2025 and May 2026 tests shows only 8,036 miles added in over thirteen months, suggesting prolonged periods of standing. Extended inactivity can accelerate rubber component degradation, which aligns with the perishing tyres and worn suspension bushes recorded across multiple tests. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and steering components. The February 2025 failure identified excessively worn ball joints on both front lower suspension arms, and the February 2024 test flagged worn bushes on the offside front lower front arm and both lower rear arm bushes. Although these were rectified for the 2025 retest, the recurrence of suspension wear across consecutive years raises questions about component quality and alignment. Check for uneven tyre wear, clunking over bumps, and play in the front end. The repeated tyre advisories, including perishing and edge wear, suggest possible misalignment or prolonged underinflation. Inspect the sidewalls carefully and verify the date codes on all four tyres, as aged rubber on a low-mileage vehicle that stands for long periods is a genuine concern regardless of remaining tread depth.