2010 Audi A8 4.1L Diesel · OV10 UAY

The 2010 Audi A8 passed its most recent MOT on 31 October 2025 at 97,523 miles, but the maintenance trend is best described as stable with persistent, unresolved wear items rather than genuinely improving. The tester flagged play in the offside front steering rack inner joint and noted both nearside and offside rear inner brake pads wearing thin. These are not new failures, but they are ongoing advisories that have appeared repeatedly across multiple tests without evidence of permanent rectification. The car has not failed an MOT since December 2024, yet the underlying mechanical drift in the steering and suspension components has not been resolved. The mileage progression is broadly consistent with light, regular use for a sixteen-year-old luxury saloon. Between the October 2023 test at 86,012 miles and the December 2024 test at 93,221 miles, the car covered roughly 7,200 miles in just over twelve months. The jump from 93,221 miles in December 2024 to 97,523 miles by October 2025 represents approximately 4,300 miles in ten months, which is a slightly reduced annual rate but still within a normal range. There are no alarming gaps or sudden spikes in the odometer record that would suggest long-term standing or clocking concerns. A buyer should focus their physical inspection on the front suspension and steering rack assembly. Play in the steering rack inner joint has been flagged in every MOT from October 2023 through to October 2025, affecting both nearside and offside sides. This points to worn inner track rod ends or a deteriorating rack bush that has been monitored rather than replaced. The upper and lower front suspension arm bushes have also been repeatedly noted as worn, with the December 2024 failure recording excessive wear on all four front upper arm bushes. Although the car passed in October 2025 without a fresh suspension advisory, the underlying degradation is unlikely to have reversed. Have a workshop check for play in the front wheel hubs, rack inner joints, and all front suspension arm bushes under load. The braking system warrants close attention as well. Inner rear brake pads were flagged as wearing thin at the most recent test, and the December 2024 failure included advisories on front brake reaction, suggesting uneven pad wear or possible caliper drag. Inspect the rear calipers for sticking slides and check the condition of the front brake discs and pads for uneven deposits or lipping. The nearside front tyre that failed with structural separation in December 2024 was presumably replaced, but a full tyre condition check including sidewalls and date codes is advisable given the car's age and the original failure mode.