2012 Audi A8 3.0L Diesel · TM06 CRY

The 2012 Audi A8 presents a solid mechanical picture overall, but the most recent MOT test on 17 November 2025 at 112,846 miles reveals a cluster of advisories that mark a clear departure from the previous five years of clean passes. Between November 2021 and November 2024, every single test recorded zero defects across four consecutive years at mileages climbing from 89,541 to 105,970. That is an unusually clean run for a fourteen-year-old luxury saloon. The November 2025 result, however, introduces multiple advisories simultaneously, suggesting either a period of deferred maintenance has caught up or the car has seen harder use in the past year. The trend is not yet alarming, but it has shifted from stable to one that warrants closer scrutiny. The mileage accumulation is broadly typical for the vehicle's age. From the first recorded test in this dataset at 89,541 miles in November 2021 through to 112,846 miles in November 2025, the car covered roughly 23,300 miles over four years, averaging around 5,800 miles annually in that window. That is slightly below the 8,060 miles per year average calculated over the vehicle's full life, which may indicate the current or most recent keeper used the car for shorter, more local journeys. No significant gaps appear in the record, with tests completed every November consistently, so there is no evidence of long periods off the road or missing annual tests. The advisories from the November 2025 test deserve a buyer's direct attention on inspection. Both rear tyres showing damage, cracking, or perishing is a consumable issue, but it also hints that the car may have sat stationary for extended spells or been driven on under-inflated rubber. Both rear brake discs flagged as worn, pitted, or scored point to genuine heat and friction wear rather than a simple lip, meaning a replacement set is likely due soon. The front upper suspension arm pin or bush wear on both sides, combined with play in the offside front inner steering rack joint, suggests the front end has developed the kind of slack that typically appears when bushings and linkage components reach the end of their service life. These are not catastrophic failures, but together they indicate the car is entering a phase where suspension and braking components need proactive renewal rather than monitoring. A buyer should put the car on a ramp and examine the front suspension arms, rack inner joints, and rear brake discs and pads in person. Check the date codes on all four tyres to confirm age and whether the rears match the advisory description. Inspect the underside for corrosion around suspension mounting points and subframe areas, as the clean MOT history before 2025 gives no structural guarantees beyond what a tester could see on the day. The record shows a car that was very well maintained for several years but has recently developed the kind of wear items that a diligent owner would address promptly. Verify whether that work has been done before committing.