2020 Audi A5 2.0L Petrol · WT69 DDF

This Audi A5 presents a roadworthiness record dominated by very high annual mileage and a single significant safety system failure, rather than a clean or worsening mechanical trend. Across five recorded tests from 2023 through 2026, the car has passed four times, with the most recent assessment on 23 February 2026 recording a clean pass and no defects or advisories. However, the intervening history is more nuanced: the 2024 test exposed a Major defect on the supplementary restraint system warning lamp, causing an immediate failure on 21 February 2024, before a clean pass was secured just two days later on 23 February 2024 once the airbag system fault was rectified. The pattern that does emerge is one of wear-related advisories clustered around that 2024 inspection, all of which subsequently cleared without reappearing in 2025 or 2026, suggesting the braking and suspension components flagged were attended to or had not yet progressed to failure. The mileage profile is the most defining characteristic of this vehicle. At 194,428 recorded miles over roughly six years, the A5 is accumulating approximately 32,400 miles per year, which is more than double the typical mileage for a car of its age. This level of sustained use places considerable ongoing demand on every consumable and wearing component, particularly the clutch, dual-mass flywheel, turbocharger, suspension bushes, brake discs and pads, wheel bearings, and the entire drivetrain. There are no extended gaps in testing, indicating continuous operation rather than periods of standing, which is mechanically favourable for avoiding issues such as seized callipers, dried rubber seals, and brake hydraulic problems, but unfavourable for component longevity. Any prospective buyer should recognise that even the clean 2026 pass reflects a heavily worked vehicle where underlying wear rates will be substantially higher than the MOT record alone can reveal. With the front lower suspension arm pins or bushes specifically flagged as worn on both sides in 2024, and the rear arms noted as slightly worn at the same inspection, a test drive should focus carefully on the front suspension geometry. Listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front end when traversing speed bumps or potholes, and feel for vagueness or delay in the steering response, particularly over undulating road surfaces, as worn front arm bushes commonly produce imprecise tracking and uneven tyre wear. Although these advisories did not result in excessive movement at the time and have not reappeared, a physically present inspection of the front and rear bushes is warranted given the mileage, as components that were only marginally worn in 2024 will have been subjected to a further two years of high-mileage use. The braking system deserves equally close scrutiny, with both front and rear brake pads recorded as wearing thin at the 2024 test. Even though no brake-related advisories appeared in 2025 or 2026, at this mileage the discs are likely to be approaching or past their second or third replacement, and worn or binding calipers are a realistic concern. On a road test, check for any pulling to one side under firm braking, vibration or judder through the pedal, and any grinding or squealing that suggests pad material is nearing the metal backing plate. Additionally, given the supplementary restraint system warning lamp failure in early 2024, confirm that the airbag system has been properly interrogated with a diagnostic tool, as a recurring SRS light could indicate a seatbelt pretensioner, crash sensor, or wiring loom issue that would not necessarily reappear immediately on the MOT but could compromise safety in a collision. Finally, the rear window tint and tyre pressure monitoring system light noted in 2025 are relatively minor items, but the latter warrants a check of all four tyre sensors and any aftermarket wheel compatibility before purchase.