2009 Chrysler 300 3.0L Diesel · HJ09 VNO

The 2009 Chrysler 300 presents a mixed maintenance profile, with the most recent MOT pass on 16 October 2025 at 145,946 miles marred by a recurring front suspension advisory. The offside front lower suspension arm pin or bush was flagged as worn but not yet producing excessive movement, a defect first noted in the failed test of October 2023 at the same 140,458-mile mark. That 2023 failure was severe, capturing worn front pads below 1.5 mm, an excessively worn offside suspension arm bush, a compromised ball joint dust cover, a defective position lamp, and a parking brake with inadequate effort at a wheel. The vehicle passed a retest six days later at the identical mileage, suggesting those critical items were addressed. However, the suspension bush advisory reappeared in October 2025, indicating the underlying wear pattern was managed rather than permanently resolved. Brake discs were flagged as worn and pitted in October 2024, and advisories for thin front pads and worn discs stretch back to October 2022, pointing to a persistent cycle of brake component replacement without a lasting fix to whatever accelerates that wear. The mileage accumulation of roughly 8,585 miles per year is typical for a 17-year-old vehicle, and the annual test dates from October 2022 through October 2025 show consistent yearly coverage with no alarming gaps. The 2025 test is now eight months old, meaning the current mileage could be several thousand miles higher than the 145,946 recorded. The 2022 to 2023 interval saw the vehicle cover 3,146 miles in under a year, while the 2023 to 2024 period added 2,911 miles and the 2024 to 2025 period added 2,577 miles, suggesting a slight reduction in annual use in recent years. No long-term standing periods are evident, but the modest yearly totals mean wear on consumables like tyres and wipers may age out before wearing out, as seen in the October 2024 advisory for perished and cracked tyres on both front corners. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and braking systems. The repeated suspension arm bush advisories, combined with the 2023 failure for an excessively worn bush and a degraded ball joint dust cover, warrant a close check of the nearside and offside lower arms, ball joints, and track rod ends for play or deterioration. The braking system demands equal scrutiny. Worn and pitted discs have appeared in advisories across three consecutive years, and the 2023 failure for pads below 1.5 mm suggests the calipers or sliding mechanisms may be contributing to uneven or premature wear. Have a technician measure disc thickness, pad depth, and caliper function on a ramp. The parking brake deficiency flagged in 2023 should be retested for holding effort on a gradient. Finally, inspect the subframe, sills, and suspension mounting points for corrosion, as a 2009 vehicle of this mileage will have seen nearly two decades of exposure, and structural integrity is not something an MOT advisory always captures.