2020 Skoda Karoq 1.6L Diesel · BV70 XFC

The 2020 Skoda Karoq holds a current MOT valid from 2 September 2024 at 57,259 miles, meaning the certificate is now nearly two years old and expired on 1 September 2025. The maintenance trend is clearly worsening. In the September 2023 pass at 45,424 miles, both front shock absorbers were already flagged for reduced damping effect and light oil misting. By the September 2024 retest at 57,259 miles, the damping defect advisories had disappeared from the record, but the oil misting remained on both sides, and the car initially failed that same day due to a bulging offside rear tyre, worn front brake pads, and a significantly lipped front brake disc. The pass issued later that day confirms those items were replaced, yet the persistent shock absorber oil misting was carried forward as an advisory rather than a failure, suggesting a known, unresolved seepage issue that a previous owner chose to monitor rather than repair. The mileage progression tells a straightforward story. The car covered roughly 11,835 miles between the September 2023 test at 45,424 miles and the September 2024 test at 57,259 miles, which is slightly above the typical annual figure of around 9,500 miles for a vehicle of this age. There is no evidence of long periods standing still or suspiciously low accumulation. The record is sparse, with only two tests in the past three years, but the gap is consistent with a single annual test cycle and does not raise immediate concern about missing history. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and braking system. The repeated oil misting on both front shock absorbers across two consecutive tests indicates active seepage that will eventually compromise damping performance and could lead to a future MOT failure. Check for uneven tyre wear, clunking over bumps, and any visible fluid residue on the absorber bodies. The front brake disc lip and pad wear noted in the 2024 failure suggest the car may have been driven with pads worn close to the metal backing, so inspect the disc thickness and condition carefully for heat damage or scoring. The bulging offside rear tyre that caused the initial failure points to a previous impact or structural defect; verify the age and condition of all four tyres, including the spare if fitted. Finally, confirm the headlamp washers are operational, as the 2024 advisory for both units not working remains unresolved and could become a failure point at the next test.