2012 Audi A5 2.0L Diesel · S7 RFJ

The 2012 Audi A5 presents a stable and currently sound roadworthiness position. The most recent test on 10 January 2026 at 121,600 miles passed with zero defects, a clean sweep that indicates the vehicle is in good mechanical order right now. Looking back, the maintenance trend is clearly improving. A cluster of serious faults in early 2025, including a binding offside front caliper, worn discs, and imbalanced brakes, was evidently addressed before the January 2025 pass. The record suggests a period of neglected upkeep around late 2024 to early 2025, followed by corrective work that has since held up. The mileage progression is consistent and unremarkable for a 14-year-old car. The vehicle covered roughly 5,600 miles between January 2025 and January 2026, and about 3,700 miles in the year prior to that. Annual averages sit close to the typical 8,500 to 9,000 miles per year for its age, with no alarming gaps or sudden spikes in accumulation. The MOT record itself is complete and sequential, with no missing years, which at least confirms the car has been tested annually without long periods of untaxed, untested use. Despite the clean 2026 result, the 2024 and early 2025 failures warrant a careful physical inspection. Both front lower suspension arm rear bushes were flagged as excessively worn in January 2024, and while the January 2025 pass suggests replacement, a buyer should check for any play or clunking from the front suspension under load. The rear shock absorber fluid leak noted in January 2024 also demands a close look. Inspect both rear dampers for oil misting or wetness around the seals, as a replacement unit may have been fitted but should be verified. The repeated advisories on inner brake pads and scored rear discs across multiple tests point to a history of marginal braking components. Have a garage measure rear disc thickness and pad material, and check the offside front caliper slider pins for free movement given the binding fault recorded in January 2025. Finally, the engine cover and under tray obscuring components has appeared as an advisory in both 2024 tests. Remove the under tray yourself if possible and inspect the front subframe, inner wing lower edges, and sill seams for corrosion, as hidden rust is a known issue on older Audi A5 models.