2015 Skoda Fabia 1.4L Diesel · OV65 CVO

A recurring pattern of front suspension wear and tyre edge deterioration dominates this Fabia's MOT history, with the most recent test on 7 May 2026 culminating in a failure for an excessively worn offside front lower suspension arm pin or bush, accompanied by an advisory for a thinning nearside rear outer brake pad. Earlier inspections reinforce this trend: the 2025 test noted the same offside front lower arm bush already wearing but within limits, alongside light oil misting on both front shock absorbers, while the 2023 pass flagged slight play in the nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint and a worn offside front shock damper. Two failure-level advisories appear in the 2022 record concerning tyres, including a dangerous nearside front tyre with exposed plies and an offside front tyre heavily worn on the inner edge close to cords. The cumulative picture suggests persistent front-end component degradation rather than isolated defects, and any prospective buyer should treat the suspension and steering linkages as primary areas of concern. The recorded mileage of 85,131 miles over approximately eleven years equates to an annual accumulation of roughly 7,739 miles, which sits within the expected range for a vehicle of this age and use profile. There are no extended gaps in the testing history that would imply prolonged off-road storage, with annual tests consistently recorded from 2021 through 2026. This continuity suggests the Fabia has remained in regular service, which generally promotes even wear on consumables but does mean that components such as bushes, drop links, dampers and brake friction materials have accumulated the fatigue consistent with sustained urban and suburban driving. The mileage progression itself does not raise immediate concerns, but it places this car firmly in the zone where rubber and bush degradation becomes routine. For a test drive, particular attention should be paid to the front suspension, as the advisories span multiple years and components. Listen for clonks or knocking noises from the front wheels when traversing speed bumps or potholes, particularly on the offside, where the lower arm bush has now been flagged twice. Steering inputs should be checked for vagueness, looseness, or any knocking through the rack, as worn anti-roll bar linkage ball joints commonly transmit impacts through the steering. The front dampers should be evaluated for adequate rebound by pushing down firmly on each front corner with the vehicle stationary; any continued bouncing or oscillation indicates the oil misting noted in 2023 has progressed to functional weakness. The nearside front tyre inner edge wear pattern from 2022 should also be considered, as uneven shoulder wear often points to alignment irregularities, worn suspension geometry, or bush deterioration that may have resurfaced. Braking performance requires close inspection given the recurring rear brake disc and pad advisories from 2021 through 2026. During the test drive, the brake pedal should feel firm and progressive without any sponginess, and the car should pull up in a straight line without grabbing to one side. At low speed, listen for any scraping or grinding from the rear wheels indicating the newly thinned nearside rear outer pad, and feel for judder through the pedal that would suggest the rear discs have continued to pit or score since the 2021 advisory. The tyres should be examined for uneven wear across the tread face, particularly on the inner and outer edges, and a four-wheel alignment check would be prudent if any feathering or one-sided wear is evident. Finally, a thorough inspection underneath the vehicle for any corrosion around suspension mounting points, subframe, and brake pipes is advisable, as a Fabia of this age and mileage operating on UK roads is increasingly likely to exhibit surface oxidation in these areas even where no specific advisories have yet been recorded.