2009 KIA Ceed 1.6L Diesel · FP59 XJM

The 2009 Kia Ceed presents a mixed but recently stabilised roadworthiness profile. The most recent MOT on 26 February 2025 at 153,000 miles passed with advisories for slight steering rack free play, a worn offside rear brake disc, and worn nearside and offside rear suspension arm bushes. This follows a failure just one day earlier on 25 February 2025 at 152,978 miles, where both front anti-roll bar linkage ball joints were excessively worn and both front position lamps had failed. The fact that the car passed the very next day after replacing those components and bulbs suggests the previous owner addressed immediate failures reactively rather than through proactive servicing. The maintenance trend is therefore stable in the short term but points to a pattern of deferred attention to wear items. Mileage accumulation sits at roughly 9,000 miles per year, which is typical for a vehicle of this age. The record shows a gap of approximately 3,629 miles between the February 2024 test at 149,349 miles and the February 2025 test at 153,000 miles, indicating consistent annual use with no alarming spikes or suspicious drops. The MOT history itself is sparse, with only three distinct test events logged across 2023, 2024, and 2025, so a buyer should not treat this as a comprehensive service record. Several recurring mechanical themes demand a close physical inspection. The steering rack has shown slight free play at every test from February 2024 through February 2025, suggesting gradual wear in the rack assembly or inner track ends that warrants checking for clunks or vagueness at the wheel. Rear brake discs have appeared worn and pitted across multiple consecutive tests, and the rear suspension arm forward bushes have been flagged as worn since at least February 2024 without any indication of replacement. A thorough check of the rear suspension, including the trailing arm bushes and shock absorber condition, is advisable before purchase. The coil springs were noted as corroded across all corners in the February 2024 test, and while this did not reappear in 2025, any visible scaling or corrosion on the springs should be examined carefully, as corrosion can lead to sudden spring fracture under load. The offside front coil spring was also flagged in 2023 for being fouling the inner wing, which may indicate prior incorrect installation or a collapsed spring seat. Buyers should inspect the spring seats and check for any contact marks or fresh paint that could mask a recurring issue.