2009 Skoda Octavia 2.0L Diesel · VR58 ABY

This 2009 Skoda Octavia passed its most recent MOT on 14 May 2026 with 227,573 miles recorded, but the test revealed a clear pattern of progressive wear across the front suspension, drive joints, and tyres. The vehicle is now 17 years old with above-average mileage for its age at roughly 13,387 miles per year, which signals sustained heavy use rather than typical domestic driving or extended periods off the road. The suspension defects are the most concerning finding. Both front anti-roll bar linkage ball joints show slight play, both sides of the front lower suspension arms have worn pins or bushes, and the nearside front outer drive shaft joint boot is severely deteriorated. These are not new issues: the same anti-roll bar ball joint play and suspension wear were flagged in November 2022, and the dust covers protecting the ball joints have been noted as severely deteriorated since that same test. The fact that these defects have persisted and potentially worsened over nearly four years of use suggests the owner has chosen to defer repair rather than address them promptly. Tyre wear has been a consistent advisory across the entire history. Both rear tyres were close to the legal limit in May 2025, both front and rear tyres approached the limit again by May 2024, and now in May 2026 both front tyres are again worn close to the legal limit and showing edge wear. This recurring pattern points to either chronic alignment issues stemming from the worn suspension components, or a pattern of running tyres to near-minimum tread depth before replacement. Either way, new tyres will be needed soon.