2009 Volkswagen Caddy 1.9L Diesel · GF09 LFO

A pattern of recurring advisories around the front suspension, braking, and tyre condition sits at the centre of this Caddy's roadworthiness history, with the most recent MOT on 1 November 2025 recording a pass with no defects. The trend, however, is one of intermittent but consistent component wear rather than a steadily improving record. Across the seven tests captured, three have flagged front brake pad wear, multiple tests have noted tyre wear close to the legal limit on the nearside or offside front, and the 2024 entry introduced advisories for a worn upper shock absorber bush on the nearside front and a worn anti-roll bar pin or bush on the same corner. The single failure recorded in January 2024 was driven by a dangerous offside rear tyre with structural separation, a misaligned nearside front headlamp, and an insufficient washer jet, all of which are correctable items but collectively suggest that not every defect has been addressed proactively between tests. The recorded mileage of 97,991 miles against a 2009 registration equates to an average annual accumulation of roughly 5,764 miles, which is notably low for a commercial-derived vehicle of this age. The MOT history itself is broadly annual from 2021 onwards with no multi-year gaps that would suggest extended periods off the road, and there are no obvious sudden jumps in mileage between tests. Low annual mileage of this kind typically reduces wear on internal drivetrain components such as the engine, transmission, and clutch, but it can accelerate degradation of rubber and polymer items through ageing rather than use, and it means components like brakes, tyres, and suspension bushes can still present with wear despite modest mile accumulation. For a prospective buyer, the front-end advisories from October 2024 deserve close physical inspection, particularly as they were repeated across both the failed and subsequent pass on consecutive days. On a test drive, listen for knocking or clonking from the front suspension over uneven roads, which would suggest the worn upper shock absorber bush or anti-roll bar bush has deteriorated further, and pay attention to any vague, loose, or imprecise steering response that could indicate play in those linkages. Brake feel should be assessed for pedal judder or pulling to one side under firm application, as the recurring front brake pad advisory suggests the pads may again be approaching replacement, and the discs should be inspected for lipping and surface corrosion given the vehicle's likely exposure to short journeys and infrequent heavy braking. The front tyres should be checked for uneven shoulder wear, particularly on the offside, which has been flagged on multiple occasions for edge wear. The January 2024 failure items also warrant verification before purchase. Confirm that the headlamp alignment on the nearside front is correctly set and produces a flat, horizontal beam pattern with a sharp cut-off, and ensure the windscreen washer system delivers an adequate jet to both sides of the screen, as washer bottles and pumps are simple but occasionally overlooked items. The dangerous tyre failure on the offside rear highlights the importance of inspecting all four tyres for age-related sidewall cracking, bulges, or embedded damage rather than relying on tread depth alone. Beyond the recorded items, a Caddy of this age and mileage commonly develops corrosion on the rear axle beam, suspension arms, and underbody seams, so a thorough visual check from beneath the vehicle on a ramp is advisable, along with an inspection for oil misting around the engine and any seepage from the power steering rack, none of which would have been captured under standard MOT suspension and steering checks.