2011 Audi A5 3.0L Diesel · AP11 FZJ

The vehicle remains roadworthy, but the maintenance history reveals a pattern of reactive rather than proactive repairs. While the most recent test in June 2025 at 126,419 miles passed, it carried advisories for a leaking offside rear shock absorber and a worn offside tyre. The shock absorber has shown light misting of oil across four consecutive tests back to 2022, indicating a slow but persistent degradation that has not yet reached the point of terminal failure. At 126,419 miles over 15 years, the Audi averages approximately 8,400 miles per year, which is consistent with typical usage for a vehicle of this age. The record shows steady progression, with an 8,500-mile gap between May 2022 and May 2023, and another 9,200 miles between June 2023 and June 2024. This consistent mileage suggests the car has not suffered from long periods of inactivity, which can often cause age-related issues with seals and rubber components. A buyer must scrutinise the front suspension and steering assembly following the failure in May 2023 at 112,100 miles. That test flagged a fractured offside front coil spring and excessive play in the steering rack inner joints. While these were seemingly repaired to secure the subsequent pass, the presence of steering rack play often indicates significant wear on related front-end components. The recurring offside rear shock absorber also requires close monitoring to ensure the misting does not evolve into a full seal failure which compromises vehicle handling. The extensive list of electrical and lighting failures from early 2023 highlights a period of missed basic maintenance, involving multiple bulb failures, misaligned washer jets, and a loose bumper. Although these issues are minor in nature, they suggest the previous owner only addressed faults when prompted by the MOT tester. A physical inspection should verify the current state of the offside door mirror and the nearside front headlamp alignment to ensure previous fixes were permanent.