2009 Skoda Fabia 1.4L Petrol · LD09 XEY

The 2009 Skoda Fabia presents a stable and largely improving mechanical picture as of its most recent MOT on 26 February 2026 at 89,971 miles. That test passed, but only after a failure four days earlier on the same day's booking at 89,968 miles. The initial failure flagged an ABS warning lamp not illuminating, a non-conforming front registration plate, a loose offside mirror, modified front suspension arms, and slight play in the nearside front track rod end ball joint. The retest cleared the ABS and plate issues, yet the suspension arm modification and track rod play carried over as advisories rather than new failures. This pattern suggests the owner addressed immediate failure points quickly but left known wear items unresolved, a common approach on a low-mileage, ageing supermini where full preventative renewal is hard to justify. The mileage profile is unusually low for a seventeen-year-old vehicle. Recorded at 52,123 miles in June 2022, 65,009 miles in June 2023, 81,230 miles in August 2024, and 89,971 miles in February 2026, the car has covered roughly 37,800 miles in the last four years, averaging around 9,500 miles per year recently after a period of lighter use. The jump from 65,009 to 81,230 miles in just over a year indicates a marked increase in daily driving, yet the overall annualised figure of about 5,292 miles remains well below the UK average. Long periods of low use can mask deterioration in perishable components such as rubber bushes, tyre sidewalls, and brake seals, even when the odometer suggests gentle treatment. Buyers should focus their physical inspection on the front suspension and steering, where recurring advisories point to genuine wear rather than one-off defects. The nearside front track rod end ball joint has shown slight play in both the 2024 and 2026 tests, and the front suspension arms have been modified rather than replaced, raising questions about whether the modifications meet original geometry specifications. Have the arm bushes and ball joints checked for play on a ramp, and verify whether the modifications are documented or reversible. The ABS warning lamp fault that appeared and disappeared between the two February 2026 tests warrants a diagnostic scan to retrieve stored fault codes, as intermittent ABS issues can stem from sensor rings, wiring corrosion, or a failing pump rather than a simple bulb fault. Tyre condition and structural corrosion deserve equal attention. The 2024 test noted a slightly damaged or perishing nearside rear tyre, and at seventeen years old, even low-mileage tyres may have aged past their safe service life regardless of remaining tread depth. Inspect all four tyres for sidewall cracking, date codes older than six years, and uneven wear that could reflect the suspension arm modifications. Finally, examine the front subframe, inner wing arches, and sill seams for corrosion, as older VAG-platform cars of this era can develop hidden rust that MOT visual checks do not always capture.