2009 Audi Q5 2.0L Petrol · RF09 NFR

A clear pattern of suspension and tyre wear emerges across the MOT history of this 2009 Audi Q5, with the 2026 test pass carrying four advisories that point to ongoing mechanical degradation rather than isolated incidents. The most recent examination on 9 March 2026 recorded rear inner brake pads wearing thin, nearside and offside front suspension arm pins or bushes showing wear, and both front tyres worn close to the legal limit with edge wear and a measured 1.6mm tread on the nearside. This follows a prior advisory in 2025 noting front tyres worn on edges, and earlier entries in 2022 flagging front and rear tyre perishing on edges, suggesting a recurring geometry or alignment issue rather than one-off tyre ageing. The single recorded failure occurred on 10 February 2021 when an offside front lower suspension arm pin or bush was classed as excessively worn and a major defect, repaired before the retest the following day. This component category has now reappeared as advisory wear on both sides at the most recent test, indicating the repaired arm may have been replaced while the opposite side or adjacent bushes are now reaching a similar threshold. No advisories relating to corrosion, structural integrity, exhaust, or fluid leaks appear in any test, and no emissions failures are recorded across the eight examinations. The recorded mileage of 97,359 against a 17-year vehicle age equates to roughly 5,727 miles per year, which is low for an SUV of this type and may reflect periods of limited use or intermittent motoring rather than steady daily driving. A gap exists between the 2021 test and the 2019 test, with no examination recorded for 2020, and the spacing of tests is otherwise broadly annual from 2021 onwards. Lower annual mileage on a vehicle of this age typically reduces wear on high-mileage components such as the engine, gearbox, and clutch, but can accelerate deterioration of items that suffer from standing still, including brake discs corroding on the inner face, perished rubber boots, and seized caliper slide pins. The 2025 minor defect noting a severely deteriorated nearside front drive shaft CV boot is consistent with extended standing time allowing rubber to crack rather than wear through use, and the recurring tyre cracking and perishing advisories from 2022 reinforce this pattern of age-related rubber degradation rather than tread wear from heavy mileage. For a prospective buyer, the priority components to inspect on a physical viewing are the front suspension arms, bushes, and anti-roll bar drop links, given the documented failure on the offside front lower arm in 2021 and the current advisory wear on both sides. On a test drive, listen for clonking or knocking from the front suspension over speed humps and uneven surfaces, and feel for any vagueness or knocking through the steering wheel when traversing broken tarmac, which would indicate the worn pins or bushes have progressed beyond the advisory threshold. Inspect the front brake discs for a pronounced lip on the outer edge and for surface corrosion, as the rear inner brake pads wearing thin suggests the handbrake mechanism or caliper pistons may not be retracting cleanly, and request a brake disc thickness check with a gauge rather than relying solely on visual inspection. Examine all four tyres for uneven shoulder wear, particularly inner edge wear on the fronts, which could indicate worn suspension bushes allowing geometry misalignment, and check the nearside front CV boot for any fresh grease deposits or splits, as the deteriorated boot noted in 2025 may have deteriorated further if not replaced. Finally, raise the vehicle and check for any weeping from the front strut assemblies and for play in the front wheel bearings, the latter flagged as slightly noisy in 2023, to establish whether the underlying chassis condition supports continuing use or whether budget should be reserved for imminent suspension and braking component renewal.