Hi all. Got car serviced today. Mechanic advised that front offside shock needs replacing due to a leak so recommending both fronts be replaced.

I took a look myself. It seems bone dry with the exception of what's in the pics below. Would this fail an MOT/NCT? It looks as if it's only a few small marks - I was expecting an oil stained mess.

Any advice/opinions?

Skoda Octavia RS Diesel 2015

Edited 19 June, 202519 Jun by foregonereality

Doesn't look much like a leak. I'd clean it all off , inspect, then inspect again in a couple of weeks.

Having said that, if they're the originals, they've done pretty well. You might be looking at replacing the pair at MoT time.

Thank you for the advice InspectorMan. As a precaution I decided to jack up the car and take a photo of the top of the shock.

I don't even know what I'm looking at. Is it bad?

Edited 19 June, 202519 Jun by foregonereality

Yep - that's a lot more unpleasant than the odd marks lower down. The dampness on the spring is oil which should be inside the shock. Time to get the wallet out (and buy your mechanic a beer). 10 years though!