2009 Hyundai I20 1.2L Petrol · YY59 OJL

The Hyundai i20 presents a mixed but broadly stable maintenance profile, with the most recent MOT on 11 December 2025 at 84,821 miles ending in a pass after an initial fail on the same day. That retest failure flagged a cluster of front-end issues: the tester identified play in the offside front steering rack inner joint, a worn and corroded offside front brake disc, and binding on the offside rear caliper. The headlamp advisories for lens contamination on both sides suggest cosmetic deterioration rather than a serious beam pattern defect. The fact that the car passed a few hours later indicates the owner addressed the braking and steering faults promptly, which is a positive indicator of reactive maintenance rather than neglect. The mileage progression tells a consistent story of gentle use. Between December 2022 at 81,031 miles and December 2024 at 82,955 miles, the car covered just 1,924 miles across two full years. From December 2024 to December 2025, it added a further 1,866 miles. That works out to under 2,000 miles annually over the last three years, well below even the already low lifetime average of roughly 4,989 miles per year. No sudden jumps or mileage gaps appear in the record, so there is no evidence of the odometer being rolled back or the car sitting unused for extended periods without a corresponding gap in test dates. A buyer should pay close attention to the front suspension and steering. Play in the offside front steering rack inner joint has appeared as an advisory in three consecutive tests, from December 2023 through December 2025, suggesting the inner joint is degrading gradually rather than failing catastrophically. The repeated advisory on both front suspension arm ball joint dust covers in 2023, noted as split but still preventing water ingress, warrants a physical check to confirm whether those covers have since been replaced or if dirt has entered the joint. Corrosion is a recurring theme: both rear coil springs were flagged as corroded in December 2024, and the offside front brake disc showed corrosion alongside wear in the 2025 failure. The nearside rear brake pipe was also flagged in 2023 for corrosion obscured by grease. These are not immediate structural failures, but they point to a car that has spent time in conditions promoting rust, possibly coastal or winter-salt exposure. A thorough underside inspection focusing on brake lines, subframe mounting points, and suspension components is advisable before purchase.