2010 Audi A5 2.0L Diesel · GF60 HGG

The defining mechanical story of this 2010 Audi A5 is a pronounced pattern of recurring front suspension wear, oil leaks from the engine or ancillary casings, and tyre damage, all of which have appeared as advisories or failures across multiple consecutive tests. The most recent examination on 30 June 2025 was a pass, but it carried five advisories that closely mirror those flagged a year earlier on 5 June 2024, suggesting persistent rather than resolved wear. Both offside and nearside front upper suspension arm rear bushes were noted as worn in 2024 and again in 2025, while a non-excessive oil leak and a misting offside rear shock absorber have now entered the record. Historically, this trend is reinforced by earlier failures: a June 2023 test recorded excessive wear on both front lower anti-roll bar linkage pins or bushes, and a prior failure that same month flagged power steering fluid below minimum. The cumulative picture is one of a chassis that is steadily consuming its suspension components and beginning to show signs of fluid leaks, with the 2025 advisories indicating that the rate of wear has not slowed. Against an age of roughly sixteen years, the recorded mileage of 127,104 miles equates to an annual accumulation of around 7,944 miles, which sits broadly in line with typical usage for a car of this vintage. There are no conspicuous gaps in the testing history that would suggest long periods off the road, and the mileage progression between tests is consistent rather than erratic. Mechanically, this steady accumulation is significant because the recorded wear pattern aligns with what would be expected at this mileage bracket: suspension bushes, anti-roll bar links, dampers, and tyre sidewalls are consumable items that deteriorate with both age and distance covered, and the MOT history shows these components being flagged consistently rather than sporadically. The oil leak advisories and power steering fluid loss noted in 2023 further support a vehicle that is now entering a phase where sealing components and hydraulic lines require more frequent attention. For a prospective buyer, the upper suspension arm rear bushes flagged on both sides in 2024 and 2025 should be a priority inspection point. These components control rear camber and toe on the front axle, and when worn they typically produce a clonking or knocking noise from the front suspension over uneven surfaces, vague or wandering steering at speed, and uneven inner-edge tyre wear that may already be visible on the current tyres. The 2025 advisory on the nearside front upper arm bush in particular suggests it has progressed since the 2024 note, and the buyer should expect replacement of both rear bushes along with a four-wheel alignment to be a near-term cost. A test drive should be conducted over rough or broken tarmac with the windows down so that any suspension rattle or knock can be heard clearly, and the steering should be checked for a slight delay in self-centring after cornering. The recorded oil leak and the rear shock absorber misting both warrant close scrutiny, as these are items that can progress from advisory to failure if left unattended. On inspection, the underside of the engine and the area around the offside rear damper should be checked for fresh oil film or wet residue, and the shock absorber body itself examined for a continuous oil sheen rather than dry surface dust. A test drive should include a series of speed bumps or sharp directional changes to assess damper performance, listening for a dull thudding noise from the rear and feeling for any excessive vertical float or secondary bounce after compression. The brake pad advisories from 2023 also indicate that inner pad wear should be inspected, as these are often missed on visual checks and tend to produce a faint grinding or squeal under light pedal pressure. Finally, the tyre cut advisories across both 2024 tests and the dangerous tyre failure recorded in June 2022 highlight a recurring vulnerability in the tyre sidewalls; any candidate vehicle should be presented with four matching tyres in good condition, free of sidewall cracking, bulges, or exposed cord, as repeated MOT findings of this nature suggest the wheels may have been kerbed or the tyres are being run at incorrect pressures.