2016 Audi A5 2.0L Diesel · RK66 YME

The 2016 Audi A5 presents a generally stable maintenance profile, with the most recent MOT conducted on 2025-10-22 at 88,415 miles resulting in a pass but carrying two advisories. The rear brake pads were noted as wearing thin, and the offside rear shock absorber displayed a light misting of oil. Neither defect constitutes a failure, yet both signal the onset of wear that demands monitoring. Prior to this test, the vehicle enjoyed three consecutive clean passes from 2022 through 2024, indicating a period of consistent upkeep. The trend is not worsening in any dramatic sense, but the reappearance of advisories after three fault-free years suggests the car has entered a phase where age-related component deterioration is beginning to surface. The mileage accumulation of roughly 8,842 miles per year over ten years sits squarely within the typical range for a vehicle of this age and class. The annual increments between MOTs remain steady, moving from 69,352 miles in September 2021 to 74,959 in September 2022, then 81,291 in October 2023, and 84,048 in October 2024. There are no alarming gaps or sudden spikes in the odometer record that would raise concerns about tampered mileage or prolonged periods of disuse. The data set is clean and consistent, which supports confidence in the recorded history. The offside rear shock absorber oil misting recorded in the October 2025 test is a condition worth taking seriously. A light misting can progress to a full fluid leak, degrading damping performance and compromising ride stability, particularly over uneven surfaces. A prospective buyer should have the rear suspension inspected on a ramp, checking not only the shock absorber unit itself but also the condition of the coil spring, top mount, and lower suspension bushes for any play or perishing. Brake pad wear at the rear, flagged in the same test, should be physically measured against manufacturer minimum thickness specifications. While rear pads on this platform typically wear more slowly than fronts, the advisory at 88,415 miles suggests either harder-than-normal use or a binding caliper that could be accelerating uneven disc wear. Beyond the flagged items, the absence of any structural corrosion advisories across five consecutive MOTs is encouraging for a decade-old vehicle. Still, a hands-on inspection of the inner wheel arches, sill edges, and subframe mounting points remains prudent, as surface corrosion can develop between test intervals. The nearside rear child seat restriction noted in the 2021 test was an administrative limitation rather than a mechanical defect, but it does mean the adult seatbelt on that side was never fully assessed at that time. A quick functional check of all seatbelt retractors and buckles during any test drive would close that minor gap in the record.