2009 Honda Civic 2.2L Diesel · WR59 VJO

The Honda Civic passed its most recent MOT on 4 December 2025 at 167,991 miles, but the maintenance trend is not reassuring. That pass came only one day after a failure on the same mileage, where the tester flagged an incorrectly aimed nearside headlamp, a deteriorated rear registration plate, underbody corrosion in various places, and two rear tyres with damage and wear issues. The nearside repeater and an offside rear position lamp had also failed in the October 2025 test, and rear suspension corrosion was noted then too. The vehicle is technically roadworthy today, yet the pattern of repeated lighting, corrosion, and tyre advisories across consecutive visits suggests a car that has had problems patched rather than properly resolved. The mileage sits at 167,991 miles after roughly 17 years, averaging just under 9,900 miles per year, which is typical for a petrol family hatchback. More telling is the gap between the October 2024 pass at 158,594 miles and the December 2025 tests at 167,991 miles, covering 9,397 miles in just over 13 months. That is a noticeable jump from the earlier 12-month pattern of around 7,242 miles between October 2023 and October 2024. Whether that reflects heavier recent use or a period of under-reporting, the wear items flagged in the latest tests are consistent with a car that has been driven harder or serviced less attentively in the last year. Buyers should focus on the underbody and rear suspension first. The December 2025 pass explicitly recorded underbody corrosion in various places, and the October 2025 failure noted a corroded rear suspension component that was not yet seriously weakened. On a 17-year-old Civic, that kind of corrosion can progress quickly if the car has been standing or used on salted roads. The rear tyres were flagged twice in two months for cracking, perishing, and edge wear, which hints at possible tracking issues or simply neglected consumables. The repeated lighting faults, a repeater, a position lamp, and a headlamp aim problem, point to aging bulbs, connectors, or a minor impact that was never fully corrected. A thorough inspection of the rear subframe mounting points, suspension bushes, and brake lines for rust, plus a proper four-wheel alignment check, would be wise before committing.