2009 Mercedes-Benz C 2.1L Diesel · LR09 JMV

The most recent DVSA examination on 13 April 2026 recorded a PASS, but it follows a failed test only three days earlier on 10 April 2026 which was the result of an environmentally harmful fluid leak from the front of the vehicle. The test outcome has therefore been secured by remedial action rather than being an unblemished pass. Looking back through the documented history, the trend is one of slow deterioration rather than stability. The 2021 test passed with no advisories, but from 2022 onwards multiple advisories began to accumulate around brake pipes, brake discs and suspension components, culminating in a 2025 fail for leaking fuel system components and two excessively corroded front brake pipes, followed by the 2026 fail for a fuel leak and continuing brake disc wear. The pattern indicates an aging vehicle where corrosion, fuel system integrity and braking components are now the dominant concerns and should be regarded as the priority focus of any pre-purchase inspection. The recorded mileage of 181,794 miles across a 2009 registration equates to roughly 10,700 miles per year, which is broadly typical for a vehicle of its age and suggests reasonably consistent use rather than prolonged standing. There are no extended gaps in the MOT record that would indicate long periods off the road, and the mileage progression between annual tests appears steady, implying the engine, transmission and drivetrain will have accrued significant wear commensurate with the odometer reading. At this level of usage, attention should be paid to age-related wear items that scale with mileage rather than calendar years, including timing chain stretch on the petrol M271 engines common in this era, automatic transmission service history if applicable, dual-mass flywheel condition on manuals, and turbocharger health where fitted. A consistent service history with stamps confirming regular oil and filter changes at manufacturer intervals would be particularly important to verify given the high odometer figure. There are several recurring and newly emerging issues in the MOT record that warrant close physical examination and careful test drive assessment. The advisories for pitted and scored front brake discs have now persisted across the last three tests, and given the high mileage and the fact that disc wear is progressive, the discs are almost certainly at or beyond minimum thickness and will require replacement imminently. The nearside rear inner tyre noted as worn close to the legal limit in both the 2025 and 2026 tests strongly suggests a tracking or suspension geometry problem that has not been rectified, and this should be inspected by checking for uneven shoulder wear on all four tyres and feeling for pulling under braking. The 2025 advisories for rear brake disc wear and slight play in the offside front wheel bearing are both items that worsen gradually and should be evaluated on a road test by listening for a low humming noise that increases with speed or changes when cornering, and by feeling for any roughness when rotating the wheel by hand. Further to the recorded items, the history of brake pipe corrosion advisories from 2023 onwards progressing to a fail in 2025 indicates that the brake hydraulic lines, particularly along the front chassis, are corroding internally and externally, and a thorough inspection underneath the vehicle for rust bubbling, flaking or active weeping around pipe unions and flexible hoses is essential. The 2024 advisories concerning the front anti-roll bar ball joint and linkage dust covers deteriorating suggest the bushes and drop links are aging and should be checked for perished rubber and any knocking or clonking over uneven road surfaces during a test drive. The fuel system defects recorded in both 2025 and 2026 from the engine and front of the vehicle indicate an unresolved leak that warrants a smoke test or visual examination of the high-pressure pump, injector seals, fuel rail and associated lines to confirm the repair has held. Finally, at seventeen years of age regardless of mileage, the buyer should also verify the condition of perishable components not necessarily flagged by MOT but critical to roadworthiness, including tyre sidewalls for cracking and perishing, the 12V battery for holding charge, the condition of coolant, brake fluid and power steering fluid for age-related degradation, and the state of the underfloor and wheel arch structural areas for corrosion that may compromise structural integrity on future tests.