2013 Audi Q5 3.0L Diesel · PH63 HAN

A concentrated pattern of front-end suspension wear, recurring fluid leaks, and exhaust damage defines the recent mechanical story of this vehicle. The most recent MOT test, conducted on October 1st, 2025, resulted in a pass only after rectifying a major failure for an excessively worn offside front lower suspension arm bush, alongside multiple lingering advisories noting wear across both the nearside and offside front upper and lower suspension arm bushes. This latest inspection also flagged a non-excessive oil leak and snapped exhaust sleeves, highlighting a front-end assembly under considerable mechanical strain that required intervention to achieve roadworthiness. Accumulating 157,498 miles over its 13-year lifespan places this Audi Q5 at an average of roughly 12,115 miles per year, representing a significantly high usage profile compared to the national average. This heavy mileage accumulation explains the repeated appearance of consumable and high-stress component flags in the records, such as tyre wear, nail penetrations, and suspension bush degradation. While the vehicle has maintained a largely unbroken annual testing cadence with no prolonged storage gaps, the sheer volume of miles covered means that drivetrain, braking, and steering components have operated under continuous high-frequency loads. When inspecting the vehicle, a prospective buyer should focus heavily on the front suspension and steering architecture, listening closely for metallic clunks, knocking, or vagueness when navigating rough road surfaces or speed humps, which would confirm ongoing degradation in the upper and lower control arm bushes noted in the MOT history. A thorough underbody check on a ramp is essential to inspect the source and severity of the recorded oil leak and to examine the snapped exhaust sleeves and surrounding exhaust mounting points for structural integrity. Additionally, the brakes should be checked for immediate bite and pedal feel to address the thin front brake pads flagged during the last testing cycle. Finally, verify that the headlamps maintain correct alignment, referencing the previous adjustment failure from 2023, and inspect all tyres closely for irregular inner edge wear patterns and embedded debris such as nails, which have appeared multiple times in past advisories. A comprehensive test drive must include varied speeds to detect any front-end vibrations or steering pull that could indicate lingering alignment or component wear issues not fully resolved by the recent test pass.