2009 Honda CR-V 2.0L Petrol · RO59 HNH

A clear front suspension anti-roll bar problem dominates the mechanical picture on this CR-V, with both nearside and offside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joints recorded as excessively worn in the December 2025 failure, alongside a missing or perished nearside front lower anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover. Critically, the offside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint was also flagged as excessively worn back in October 2022, indicating that this wear item has now been identified twice across the recorded test history rather than being an isolated finding. The most recent outcome on 2025-12-11 was a pass once those majors were presumably addressed, but the reappearance of the same component on the same corner after roughly three years suggests the front anti-roll bar assembly and its associated linkages should be treated as a known ongoing concern. Aside from this, the intervening tests in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024 returned clean passes with no advisories recorded, so the overall trajectory is one of a generally tidy record interrupted by these two specific episodes affecting the front anti-roll bar hardware and a set of tyre edge wear advisories. Mileage on this 17-year-old CR-V stands at 137,770 miles from an average annual accumulation of roughly 8,100 miles, which is broadly typical for a vehicle of this age. The MOT tests are recorded annually without any unusual gaps, with an interval from 2020-09-21 through 2025-12-11 broadly tracking a normal once-a-year pattern. There are no significant multi-year lay-up periods visible in the test record, and the mileage progression is consistent with steady year-round use rather than long periods of standing. From a mechanical standpoint this usage profile should have kept consumables and fluids cycling regularly, but it also means the suspension, brakes and tyres have absorbed meaningful mileage and the anti-roll bar wear recorded twice now is consistent with a car that has actually been driven rather than left dormant. For a prospective purchaser the priority is a hands-on inspection of the front anti-roll bar system. On a test drive, listen for clonks or rattling from the front suspension over bumps, particularly when traversing speed humps or undulating tarmac, as worn anti-roll bar linkage ball joints commonly produce a dull knock as the joint moves within its housing before any visible play appears. With the vehicle on level ground and the engine off, push and pull laterally on each front wheel at the top and bottom; any perceptible clunk or slack confirms worn drop links or bushes. Also examine the rubber dust covers on the lower anti-roll bar ball joints for splits or detachment, as the missing nearside cover recorded in 2025 allowed dirt ingress into the joint and accelerates wear. Given the ball joints have now been flagged on both sides in the most recent test, replacement of both drop links and a check of the anti-roll bar bushes and mounting brackets would be a prudent immediate expense. The tyre wear pattern should also be factored in. The most recent advisory notes both rear tyres worn close to the legal limit on the inner edge, mirroring earlier advisories on both front tyres from 2022, which suggests a consistent camber or alignment tendency rather than uneven tyre rotation. On inspection, check the inner shoulders of all four tyres for feathering or accelerated wear, and verify the tracking and rear axle geometry, particularly given the rear inner edge wear now flagged. Beyond these specifics, inspect the headlamp and rear lighting operation carefully, as a 2022 failure recorded a non-functioning offside front dipped beam, and a test start plus a walk-around should confirm full illumination of all bulbs. Finally, with 137,770 miles covered, expect typical high-mileage consumables such as front brake discs and pads, coil spring condition, and exhaust hangers to be approaching replacement thresholds; a raised inspection on a ramp is strongly advised to check for any play in the front suspension arms, strut top mounts, and rear brake components.