2009 Renault Clio 1.1L Petrol · MX09 WGW

The 2009 Renault Clio passed its most recent MOT on 1 July 2025 at 98,234 miles, but the record reveals a maintenance pattern that is stable at best, with several recurring and unresolved mechanical concerns. The tester flagged front shock absorbers with slight external casing damage on both sides, along with worn and pitted front brake discs and a front oil leak. None of these were dangerous enough to fail the test, yet they indicate the car is entering a phase where age-related deterioration is becoming visible across multiple systems at once. The mileage progression tells a story of very light use. Between the June 2022 test at 79,452 miles and June 2023 at 85,803 miles, the car covered roughly 6,350 miles in a year. From June 2023 to July 2025, it added only about 12,400 miles over more than two years, averaging under 5,500 miles annually. That is exceptionally low for a car of this age and suggests long periods of standing, which can accelerate rubber deterioration, cause brake corrosion, and lead to the kind of perishing and surface wear seen on wiper blades, bushes, and tyre sidewalls throughout the record. A buyer should pay close attention to the front suspension and steering. Play in the steering rack inner joints appeared in June 2022 and again in June 2023, and the June 2022 failure recorded excessive play in the offside front track rod end ball joint. Worn lower suspension arm rear bushes were flagged in both 2022 and 2023, and the front shock absorber casings showed damage in 2025. These are not consumable items that resolve themselves. Persistent play across rack, track rod, and bushes suggests the front end has not been systematically refreshed and should be inspected on a lift for cumulative wear. The braking system also warrants a thorough check. The June 2022 failure noted worn front brake pads and pitted discs, and the July 2025 test still recorded worn and pitted front discs. That is three years of the same front brake disc condition without apparent replacement, pointing to either very light use causing surface corrosion rather than wear, or a lack of proactive maintenance. The rear brakes showed a 30 percent imbalance in June 2023, which may indicate a sticking caliper or uneven pad deposition. Combined with the oil leak flagged in both 2024 and 2025, the car presents a picture of a lightly used vehicle that has not had consistent mechanical attention, and a hands-on inspection of the front end, brakes, and underside for corrosion is strongly advisable.