2015 Skoda Octavia 2.0L Diesel · BF65 AMO

Corrosion of the rear running gear is the defining theme of this Octavia's record, and it is a trend that has been building rather than receding. Rear subframe corrosion was first flagged in August 2023 alongside a corroded rear anti-roll bar, and by 2025 both rear suspension arms had joined the list, with all three items reappearing at the most recent pass on 24 June 2026. None has yet been judged seriously weakened, but the spread of corrosion across multiple rear components over three consecutive test cycles suggests progressive deterioration that warrants close physical inspection rather than reassurance from the advisory wording alone. The wider record shows two failures in the period covered: a cut front tyre down to the cords in August 2023, rectified and passed the following day, and an ABS warning lamp fault in May 2025 that was also cleared and passed the same day. Recurring inner-edge tyre wear on both axles across 2023, 2025 and 2026 is the other persistent thread, pointing to geometry or suspension wear rather than chance. At 122,641 miles over roughly eleven years, the car has averaged about 11,000 miles annually, a typical accumulation for its age with no evidence of extended lay-ups or unusual gaps in the testing sequence. This steady use is consistent with the wear items appearing in the record: brake discs and pads flagged in 2020, repeated tyre replacement needs, and a nearside front shock absorber that has shown light oil misting in four separate tests spanning 2020 to 2023. That damper has been a slow-burn advisory for years without escalating to a failure, but at this mileage it is reasonable to treat it as a component approaching the end of its service life rather than a resolved matter. On a test drive, priorities should follow the record. Listen and feel for knocks or looseness from the rear over uneven surfaces, which could indicate deterioration in the corroded suspension arms, anti-roll bar bushes or subframe mounting points, and ask to see the car on a ramp so the extent of the rear corrosion can be judged directly, since advisory language can conceal anything from surface rust to metal nearing the failure threshold. Check that the ABS warning lamp illuminates at ignition and extinguishes promptly, and confirm what repair addressed the 2025 fault, as wheel speed sensors and reluctor rings are common culprits on this platform. Under braking, feel for judder or pull, and note that the 2020 advisory for a worn, pitted offside rear disc and thin rear pads should be verified as replaced rather than merely worn further. The repeated inner-edge tyre wear deserves particular attention: it has appeared on both front and rear axles across multiple years, which strongly suggests wheel alignment issues or worn suspension bushes allowing geometry to drift. Inspect the current tyres for uneven shoulder wear, and budget for a four-wheel alignment check at minimum, since fitting fresh tyres without correcting the underlying cause will simply repeat the pattern. Finally, confirm the nearside front shock absorber's condition, as five years of recorded oil misting may now have progressed to weakened damping, detectable as excessive bounce or wallow over undulating roads. None of this makes the car unroadworthy on paper, but the corrosion trajectory and unresolved geometry question should be priced into any purchase decision.