2009 Toyota Corolla 1.6L Petrol · OE58 CFG

The vehicle is currently roadworthy, but the maintenance trend shows a concerning shift toward reactive repairs. While the Toyota Corolla passed its most recent test in November 2025 at 89,601 miles, the preceding failure on the same day reveals that significant defects were previously ignored. The transition from a clean record in 2022 to a long list of mechanical and lighting failures in 2025 suggests the owner is only addressing faults when forced by law rather than performing preventative maintenance. At 17 years old, the recorded mileage of 89,601 miles represents a low average of approximately 5,271 miles per year. This low usage often implies less mechanical wear on drivetrain components, but it frequently leads to the degradation of rubber-based parts. Between November 2024 at 85,952 miles and November 2025 at 89,601 miles, the car covered 3,649 miles, which is consistent with low-use patterns but resulted in multiple mechanical failures noted during the later inspection. A buyer must inspect the steering and suspension components thoroughly, as the November 2025 test flagged play in the offside front steering rack inner joints and a severely deteriorated anti-roll bar linkage ball joint cover. These issues indicate wear in critical steering geometry that can affect handling precision. Furthermore, the tester noted pitted and scored brake discs on both axles. While not yet an immediate failure, surface pitting suggests the vehicle may sit stationary for long periods, allowing corrosion to develop on hardware. The history also highlights a pattern of neglecting basic consumables and lighting. In 2023, three out of four tyres were flagged as being near the legal limit or worn unevenly, which often points to alignment issues or simply delayed replacement. The 2025 failure also involved multiple inoperative bulbs and an ineffective windscreen wiper. Any purchaser should verify that all flagged faults from the November 2025 failure were actually rectified with quality parts rather than temporary fixes.