2007 Audi A5 3.0L Diesel · OY57 OKM

This 2007 Audi A5 is currently unroadworthy, having failed its most recent MOT on 17 June 2025 at 182,979 miles. The maintenance trend is clearly worsening. A vehicle that passed cleanly in January 2024 deteriorated significantly within eighteen months, accumulating serious defects across multiple systems. The tester flagged evidence of diesel particulate filter tampering, a missing catalytic converter where one was fitted as standard, an inoperative rear fog lamp, and two front tyre failures including exposed ply on the offside front. These are not minor oversights. The exhaust emissions system has been deliberately compromised, and the tyre condition represents an immediate safety risk. The car cannot legally be driven on public roads until these failures are rectified. The mileage pattern is broadly consistent with typical use for a nineteen-year-old vehicle, averaging roughly 9,630 miles per year. The record shows steady accumulation: 170,113 miles in January 2021, 171,823 miles in December 2021, 179,115 miles in January 2023, 181,481 miles in January 2024, and 182,979 miles in June 2025. There are no suspicious gaps suggesting long periods of inactivity or odometer discrepancies. The annual mileage actually tapers noticeably in the final period, with only 1,498 miles covered between January 2024 and June 2025, yet this reduced usage clearly did not prevent significant mechanical and compliance failures from developing. A buyer should approach this vehicle with considerable caution. The repeated appearance of brake pad wear advisories across multiple tests, from January 2021 through January 2023, suggests braking components have been a persistent maintenance item. The January 2023 test also noted a damaged windscreen and uneven front tyre wear on inner edges, which could indicate alignment issues or worn suspension bushes and tracking geometry. The missing catalytic converter and tampered diesel particulate filter raise serious questions about how the car was maintained and driven in the period before the June 2025 failure. Any pre-purchase inspection must thoroughly examine the exhaust system for aftermarket modifications, check all emissions equipment for originality and function, and assess whether the catalytic converter has been replaced with a straight-through section. The front tyre failure with exposed cords demands immediate replacement of both front tyres and a full four-wheel alignment check. Suspension components, including drop links, anti-roll bar bushes, and control arm bushes, should be inspected for wear given the mileage and the uneven tyre wear pattern recorded in 2023. The structural integrity of the underside should also be examined for corrosion, particularly around suspension mounting points and the exhaust system, as a vehicle of this age with compromised emissions equipment may have been poorly maintained in other areas as well.