2009 Fiat 500 1.2L Petrol · GD59 OBZ

A clear pattern of corrosion-related suspension wear has emerged across this Fiat 500's later MOT tests, and that is the defining mechanical story a buyer needs to understand. The 2026-07-10 test was a pass with no advisories recorded, which is encouraging, but it sits against a 2023-12-06 examination that flagged five separate issues, four of which concerned the coil springs and rear upper shock absorber bush. Three springs were noted as corroded — offside front, nearside rear, and offside rear — and the nearside rear upper shock absorber bush was recorded as slightly worn. These advisories are not isolated observations; they represent the typical presentation of an ageing city car that has spent its life coping with salted winter roads and short, stop-start journeys. The intervening 2024 and 2025 tests passed cleanly, suggesting the corrosion has not yet reached the depth that would trigger a failure, but the trajectory is the kind of steady progression that warrants close physical inspection of the springs and damper mountings today. The mileage profile reinforces what the advisories imply about how this car has been used. At 35,266 miles over a 17-year life, the annual accumulation is roughly 2,074 miles, which is substantially below typical expectations for a vehicle of this age. Eight tests are recorded between 2019 and 2026, with no significant gaps in testing that would suggest extended off-road periods, and the mileage progression between tests appears consistent rather than erratic. Low annual mileage reduces wear on major drivetrain components but places greater stress on items that suffer from disuse: brake discs can develop corrosion on their friction surfaces, tyres can perish through age rather than tread wear, and rubber components such as bushes and boots can harden or deteriorate. The 2021 advisories for perished rear tyres and the 2022 minor defects covering both front suspension ball joint dust covers and both headlamp lenses both align neatly with that low-mileage, age-related deterioration pattern. For a prospective buyer, the coil springs flagged in 2023 are the single most important area to examine physically. Corrosion typically initiates on the lower coils where road grime and moisture collect, so a careful visual inspection with a torch, ideally on a ramp or with the wheels removed, is essential. On a test drive, listen for clonking or rattling noises from the suspension over uneven surfaces, particularly at low speed over speed bumps, which can indicate a fractured spring coil. Pay particular attention to any harshness or secondary bounce after compressing the suspension, as a weakened spring will struggle to settle the car promptly. The nearside rear upper shock absorber bush should also be checked for free play; a worn bush will often produce a squeak or knock when the body loads up over bumps or during sharp direction changes. Given the spring advisories are now two-and-a-half years old, a fresh assessment of their current condition is prudent, as corrosion of this type does not reverse. The remaining items from the record point to further age-related checks worth carrying out. The 2023 advisory on front brake pads wearing thin indicates that a replacement has likely been undertaken since, but the condition and thickness of the current pads and discs should still be verified, ideally by measuring remaining friction material and checking the disc edges for a pronounced lip. Because the car has covered low mileage, the discs may have developed surface corrosion, which usually presents as a pulsation or vibration through the brake pedal on the first firm application from cold — this typically clears after a couple of stops but is worth experiencing during a test drive. The perished rear tyres noted in 2021 will have been replaced long ago, but confirm that the current tyres are not more than six or seven years old, checking the sidewall date codes, as rubber degrades regardless of tread depth. Finally, the deteriorated ball joint dust covers flagged as minor in 2022 should be re-examined; if the covers are split, the joint itself will need close scrutiny for play, and any subsequent knocking from the front suspension under braking or over rough roads would warrant immediate investigation.