2015 Skoda Fabia 1.2L Petrol · CP65 DWN

A chronic pattern of front suspension wear emerges as the defining mechanical story of this Skoda Fabia, with shock absorber oil misting recorded at every MOT since December 2022. The advisory first appeared on the offside front in 2022, then expanded to both nearside and offside units from 2023 onwards, where it has remained a consistent finding through the most recent test on 10 December 2025. While no test has failed and the vehicle has held a continuous pass certificate since 2018, the persistence and bilateral nature of the shock misting points to seals that are gradually deteriorating rather than a one-off surface residue. The trajectory is stable rather than worsening on paper, but the fact that the same fluid loss has been flagged at three consecutive tests indicates that replacement is likely approaching, and a buyer should treat this as an imminent maintenance item rather than background noise. Against an age of eleven years, the recorded mileage of 42,878 equates to roughly 3,900 miles annually, which is notably low for the vehicle's vintage and suggests periods of light use or extended standing. MOT submissions are consistent at annual intervals from 2018 through 2025, with no multi-year gaps that would indicate the car was off the road, so the low accumulation appears to reflect genuine low usage rather than dormancy. Mechanically, this profile tends to preserve major drivetrain components but accelerates certain age-related issues, particularly rubber bush degradation, brake surface corrosion from infrequent use, and fluid-seal drying on components that benefit from regular thermal cycling, all of which align with the advisories on record. A prospective buyer should focus the pre-purchase inspection on the front suspension, as the shock absorbers are the clearest evidence of wear. With oil misting present on both front units for three years, a physical check should look for dampness or staining on the strut bodies, and a road test should listen for clonking or knocking over uneven surfaces, excessive nose-dive under braking, and a wallowing sensation through bends that suggests the damping fluid has thinned. The original dampers are now over a decade old, so even without obvious leakage, the valving may have fatigued, and a bouncy secondary ride over undulating roads is a common symptom worth probing. The braking system warrants equally close attention given the 2020 advisory concerning rear disc scoring and imbalance. Although no brake defects have been flagged since, rear discs on a low-mileage urban car are prone to corrode on the inner face where pads do not reach, so a test drive should include firm pedal applications to check for judder through the foot pedal and any sideways pull. The 2023 advisory of a nearside rear tyre worn on the edge also hints at possible rear wheel alignment drift, which should be investigated through a tyre wear inspection across the full set. Finally, given the low annual mileage, expect to verify the age and condition of ancillary items not captured in MOT data, including the battery, coolant, brake fluid, and drive belts, as these deteriorate with calendar age regardless of distance covered.