2021 Skoda Octavia SE L TSI E-TEC S-A 1.5L Hybrid electric · BV71 NLF

The vehicle holds a current MOT pass certificate dated 29 August 2025, issued at 77,557 miles, but the maintenance trend is clearly worsening. Only three days prior, on 26 August 2025 at the identical recorded mileage, the car failed with an exposed ply or cords on the Offside Front tyre, a serious structural defect. The pass certificate issued on the 29th still flagged the Nearside Front tyre worn close to the legal limit and the Offside Rear tyre cracking or perishing, both of which carried over from the failure. This pattern suggests the tester identified genuine safety-critical defects, replaced or swapped the most dangerous tyre, and issued advisories rather than fully addressing the remaining deterioration. A vehicle presenting with multiple tyre defects within a single test cycle signals neglect of basic consumable upkeep. The mileage data raises its own concerns. Between the clean pass on 2 September 2024 at 56,833 miles and the August 2025 tests at 77,557 miles, the vehicle covered approximately 20,724 miles in eleven months. That equates to roughly 1,884 miles per month, a steep jump from the earlier average of around 15,511 miles per year. Such rapid accumulation in a short window points to sustained high-speed, long-distance use, which accelerates wear on brake discs, suspension bushes, coil springs, drivetrain components, and exhaust systems. The MOT record contains no intermediate tests during this period, so there is no evidence of interim servicing or inspection. A buyer should approach this car with heightened scrutiny around the braking and suspension systems. Repeated tyre-related advisories and a failure for exposed cords indicate the vehicle has been driven on compromised tyres, placing extra load on wheel bearings, tracking geometry, and steering components. The binding or uneven wear pattern implied by edge wear on the Nearside Front suggests possible misalignment or worn suspension bushes that have not been corrected. A thorough in-person inspection should include measurement of remaining tyre tread depth across all four wheels, examination of inner sidewalls for hidden damage, and a check of brake disc thickness and pad condition given the mileage intensity. Structural integrity and corrosion status remain unknown, as the MOT record contains no underbody or chassis-related advisories. With 77,557 miles on a five-year-old vehicle, a buyer should inspect subframes, sills, and suspension mounting points for rust or cracking, particularly if the car has been used extensively on salted roads. The absence of any recorded defects beyond tyres is superficially reassuring, but the narrow failure-to-pass window and the advisories left unrectified on the most recent certificate suggest a vehicle that has been run hard and maintained reactively rather than preventatively.