2009 Chevrolet Lacetti 1.4L Petrol · LT09 AON

The 2009 Chevrolet Lacetti presents a mixed picture. The most recent MOT on 12 December 2025 at 73,770 miles passed, but only after a failure two days prior on 10 December 2025 at 73,763 miles. That failure flagged serious structural corrosion on the offside inner and outer sills, described as significantly reduced rigidity. The fact the car passed two days later suggests only the most immediate failure items were addressed, while advisories for worn track rod ends, rear anti-roll bar linkage play, and multiple tyres worn to the legal limit were carried forward. The maintenance trend is not clearly improving; it shows a pattern of reactive repairs rather than consistent preventative care. The mileage profile is unusual and warrants scrutiny. Between the October 2023 pass at 53,536 miles and the December 2024 test at 54,606 miles, the car covered just over 1,000 miles in fourteen months. Then, in the twelve months between December 2024 and December 2025, it jumped from 54,606 to 73,770 miles, an increase of nearly 19,200 miles. That is a sharp acceleration. Combined with the low annualised figure of roughly 4,339 miles per year over its full life, this suggests long periods of very light use punctuated by intensive recent driving. Buyers should verify whether the higher recent mileage reflects genuine use or whether the recorded figures raise any concern about the mileage history. The November 2024 failure at 54,568 miles revealed a cluster of serious defects: missing nearside rear brake pads, a seriously weakened brake disc, an inoperative parking brake, and an excessively worn nearside front suspension arm ball joint. These were rectified for the December 2024 pass, but the re-emergence of suspension-related advisories in December 2025, including rear anti-roll bar linkage play on both sides and a worn offside front track rod end, points to ongoing front-end wear. The recurring tyre wear issues across multiple tests, with tyres worn to the legal limit or showing structural damage, suggest the car may have been driven hard during its recent high-mileage phase or that wheel alignment has not been properly maintained. Of greatest concern is the offside sill corrosion flagged in the December 2025 failure. Structural corrosion that reduces rigidity of the assembly is a serious matter on a vehicle of this age, and a two-day turnaround to a pass raises questions about whether the repair was cosmetic or genuinely structural. A prospective buyer should have the offside sill, inner wing, and subframe mounting points inspected by a qualified bodywork specialist. The front suspension components, brake condition, and tyre wear patterns should also be checked in person, given the repeated advisories and the sharp increase in recent mileage.