2009 Citroen C1 1.0L Petrol · MK09 EUE

The 2009 Citroen C1 presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent test on 28 March 2025 at 86,556 miles passed, but only after a failure three days earlier on 25 March 2025 at 86,545 miles. That failure flagged critically worn front brake pads below 1.5 mm, a binding nearside rear brake, and three tyres worn to or near the legal limit with inner edge wear and cord exposure. The rapid retest pass suggests these items were replaced or adjusted immediately, yet the pattern of neglecting brake pads to minimum thickness and allowing a caliper to seize indicates reactive rather than preventive maintenance. The trend is not clearly improving; it shows a cycle of failing on consumables and then scrambling to pass. Mileage accumulation tells a story of very light use. Between the March 2024 pass at 79,448 miles and the March 2025 test at 86,556 miles, the car covered roughly 7,100 miles in a year, which is modest but not negligible. Over its 17-year life, the recorded 86,556 miles average only about 5,092 miles annually, confirming low mileage. However, the gap between the 2024 and 2025 tests shows a noticeable uptick in use compared to earlier years, which may explain the accelerated tyre and brake wear seen in the 2025 failure. Low mileage does not automatically mean low wear; long periods standing can cause seized calipers, perished tyre sidewalls, and corroded springs, all of which appear in this record. The 2024 failure and pass both flagged corroded rear coil springs and worn front anti-roll bar linkage bushes, with the nearside front CV boot severely deteriorated. These are not consumables; they point to age-related deterioration and possible underbody corrosion. A prospective buyer should inspect the rear spring seats and mounting points for structural rust, check the anti-roll bar links for play, and examine the CV joint for grease loss or ingress of water. The repeated tyre advisories across multiple tests, including inner edge wear and cracking, suggest possible suspension geometry issues or simply neglected rotation and alignment. Have the tracking and suspension bushings assessed on a lift. The binding nearside rear brake and worn pads in the 2025 failure raise questions about the braking system's overall condition. A sticking caliper slider or a collapsed flexible hose could cause the binding and uneven pad wear. Inspect the rear caliper for free movement, check the brake hoses for internal delamination, and verify that the handbrake mechanism is not seizing. The coolant leak noted in the 2024 test around the timing belt area, along with a missing reservoir cap, was not flagged in 2025, but the timing belt and water pump area should still be inspected for fresh weeping or residue. On a 17-year-old city car, these are the components that separate a sound purchase from an expensive headache.