2009 Ford Fiesta 1.2L Petrol · GV09 UFM

The 2009 Ford Fiesta holds a valid MOT certificate issued on 8 April 2026 at 131,205 miles, but the maintenance trend is clearly worsening. That same day the car failed a prior test with two exposed-cord front tyres, both wipers failing to clear the screen, and a defective nearside position lamp. These are basic, low-cost items that should have been addressed before the retest. More concerning, the tester flagged surface corrosion on the front subframe, rear axle, springs, and inner rear sills as an advisory on both the pass and fail certificates. Structural corrosion appearing on consecutive tests of the same day suggests the vehicle has been kept in a condition that meets the legal minimum rather than being properly maintained. The mileage progression is broadly consistent with light, steady use. The car covered 4,093 miles between April 2025 and April 2026, and 8,433 miles between April 2024 and April 2025, averaging roughly 7,700 miles per year over its seventeen-year life. That is typical for a small urban or suburban hatchback, but the MOT record reveals a pattern of deferred upkeep. In April 2025 both front tyres were worn to the legal limit and perished, with the offside at 1.8mm, yet the car was not presented with new rubber until the April 2026 failure exposed cords on both fronts. A year elapsed with tyres at or beyond the minimum tread depth, indicating previous owners neglected basic safety-critical consumables. Buyers should examine the front subframe, rear axle, inner rear sills, and spring mounts closely for progressive corrosion, particularly where surface rust was noted in April 2026. The rear axle bushes were flagged as perishing and wearing in 2025, and the nearside rear inner road wheel was slightly distorted, so expect play or roughness in the rear suspension and wheel assembly. The offside front lower suspension arm ball joint had slight play in April 2024, and the underside was noted as corroded, meaning that joint and its mounting points may now be worse. Brakes and emissions drew no recorded defects, but the combination of aged rubber components, structural rust, and repeated tyre neglect points to a car that has been run on a tight budget rather than cared for proactively. A thorough underside inspection and a suspension and steering check are essential before purchase.