2009 Toyota Aygo 1.0L Petrol · PE09 CFV

The defining mechanical story for this 2009 Toyota Aygo centres on a pattern of recurring brake-related advisories and an evolving corrosion risk to the rear sill area, set against a background of intermittent but significant safety failures. The most recent test on 30 November 2022 returned a Pass, but only with advisories for worn and pitted front brake discs on both sides and thinning front brake pads, mirroring almost identical advisory notes recorded on the same items in 2021 and on the discs in the November 2022 retest following the failure. More serious was the immediate prior test on 29 November 2022, which recorded a Dangerous failure for both front tyres being below the 1.6mm tread requirement alongside a Major failure for an excessively worn nearside front suspension arm pin or bush. Earlier, the February 2018 test had also produced fails for an ineffective front wiper, a seriously damaged offside rear tyre valve stem, and a binding offside rear brake, accompanied by advisories noting corrosion developing on the offside rear sill and a slight roughness from the offside rear wheel bearing. Taken as a whole, the record shows a vehicle that has passed its statutory roadworthiness threshold but with chronic advisories clustering around the front braking system, rear sill corrosion, and intermittent suspension and brake binding concerns that warrant careful physical inspection. Mileage accumulation at roughly 7,029 miles per year over seventeen years is broadly typical for a city-orientated Aygo of this age, and the recorded figure of 119,487 miles is neither unusually low nor disproportionately high for the platform. However, the testing record itself is not perfectly continuous, with tests recorded in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 but no entries shown between late 2022 and the present date of September 2026. This absence means there is no independently verified MOT evidence of the vehicle's condition for nearly four years, during which the front brake discs and pads previously flagged as worn could have progressed to requiring replacement, and the offside rear sill first noted as corroding in 2018 may have deteriorated further given the typical progression of structural corrosion on Aygos of this generation. Any prospective buyer should therefore treat the 2022 advisories as a baseline snapshot rather than a current reflection of roadworthiness, particularly given the high annual mileage accumulation and the age of the consumables flagged. A targeted physical inspection should focus first on the braking system, which has been the most consistently flagged area. The front discs should be measured for thickness and checked lipping at the outer edge, as the 2022 advisories indicated pitting and scoring on both sides, while the front pads require verification of remaining friction material. On the road, any vibration through the brake pedal under firm application, a pulling sensation to one side under braking, or a grinding or squealing noise from the front wheels would suggest the discs have worn beyond a serviceable state or that a caliper is sticking. The rear brakes also warrant close attention because the offside rear brake was recorded as binding in 2018; a binding rear caliper typically manifests as a handbrake that fails to release fully, a rear wheel that runs hotter than its counterpart, or uneven pad wear between the two sides, and it should be confirmed that this was rectified rather than allowed to recur. The offside rear wheel bearing noted as showing slight roughness in 2018 should also be checked by rotating the wheel by hand for any grumble or resistance, and by listening for a hum that varies with road speed during the test drive. The corrosion advisories require equally careful scrutiny, particularly the offside rear outer sill flagged in both 2018 and 2021. On a vehicle now seventeen years old, sill corrosion can progress from surface bubbling to perforation, and a buyer should look closely at the lower sill panel for any underseal bubbling, paint lifting, or visible holes, ideally using a torch and checking from underneath the car on a ramp if possible. Structurally, corrosion spreading from the sill into the rear wheel arch or floor pan would significantly impair the vehicle's integrity. The 2022 Major failure for an excessively worn nearside front suspension arm pin or bush should also be followed up; the buyer should press each front corner firmly downward and release, listening for any clonking or knocking noise as the suspension settles, and feel for any looseness or play through the steering when traversing uneven surfaces, which would indicate that the bush was either inadequately replaced or has worn again. Finally, with nearly four years of unrecorded test history, an inspection of tyre condition, tread depth across the full width of each tyre, and sidewall cracking or perishing is essential, alongside checks for any fluid leaks, exhaust integrity, and the operation of all external lights, given the previous wiper failure and tyre-related Dangerous defects recorded in this vehicle's history.