MOT pass rates / Audi

Audi MOT pass rates and common failures

Name: Audi MOT statistics
Creator: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Audi cars passed 77.8% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 1,426,634 class-4 initial tests and 51 model groups. That is above the 71.2% UK average, and ranks Audi 17th of 59 makes in the dataset.

Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older Audi is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.

Checking a Audi?

Make-level pass rates cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.

Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

What Audi cars fail on

The items most often behind a first-test failure across Audi model groups, as a share of Audi tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.

Condition — 4.3% of Audi tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
Tread Depth — 2.8% of Audi tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
Headlamp Aim — 2.5% of Audi tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
Springs — 2.1% of Audi tests. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
Exhaust Emissions — 2.1% of Audi tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
Suspension Arms — 1.8% of Audi tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
Anti-roll Bars — 1% of Audi tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
Mechanical Brake Components — 1% of Audi tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.

Audi MOT pass rate by age

Age at test	Tests	Initial pass rate
3–5 years	253,581	89.6%
6–9 years	513,033	82.9%
10–14 years	426,311	73%
15–30 years	233,600	62.6%

Audi models by MOT pass rate

Model	Tests	Initial pass rate
A3	314,388	73.9%
A4	205,491	72.3%
A1	188,224	76.5%
A6	104,817	78.5%
TT	102,550	75.9%
A5	100,694	77.8%
Q3	99,968	81.4%
Q5	95,152	82.6%
Q2	65,918	90.4%
Q7	41,136	80.6%
A7	13,167	83.8%
A8	7,643	85.7%
A2	5,182	56.9%
A3 S Line 35 TFSI MHEV S-A	4,895	90.9%
Q3 S Line 35 TFSI MHEV S-A	4,558	93.3%
E-tron Technik 50 Quattro	3,966	91.7%
A3 S Line 35 TFSI	3,502	90.5%
A1 Technik 25 TFSI	3,430	89%
R8	3,359	90.4%
A3 S Line 40 TFSI E S-A	3,257	86.3%
S3	3,244	77.6%
Q5 S Line 40 TDI MHEV Quat S-A	3,044	90.2%
Q3 S Line 35 TFSI	2,979	91.4%
E-tron	2,864	89.2%
Q8	2,557	90.8%
A3 Sport 40 TFSI E S-A	2,325	86.9%
A5 S Line 35 TDI MHEV S-A	2,324	87.2%
Q5 S Line 45 TFSI MHEV Quat SA	2,121	92%
S3 TFSI Quattro S-A	2,033	92.1%
Q2 Technik 30 TFSI	1,825	89.6%
A3 Technik 30 TFSI	1,810	89.8%
Q3 S Line 40 TFSI Quattro S-A	1,743	93.3%
Q3 Sport 35 TFSI	1,687	92.1%
Q4 E-tron S Line 40	1,638	87.4%
E-tron S Line 55 Quattro	1,625	89.7%
Q5 Sport 40 TDI MHEV Quat S-A	1,614	88.7%
A3 Sport 30 TFSI	1,548	89.6%
A5 S Line 40 TFSI MHEV S-A	1,492	89.9%
Q7 S Line 50 TDI MHEV Quat A	1,477	90.9%
A6 S Line Black ED 40 TDI SA	1,446	88.6%
Q3 Sport 35 TFSI MHEV S-A	1,439	94.1%
Q7 SLN BLK ED 50tdi MHEV QTO A	1,437	88.5%
A3 S Line 30 TFSI	1,433	90.4%
Allroad	1,415	72.1%
Q3 S LN BLK ED 35 TFSI MHEV SA	1,353	89.7%
A4 S LN BLK ED 35 TFSI MHEV SA	1,280	88.1%
S5	1,224	80.5%
A4 S Line 35 TDI MHEV S-A	1,221	87%
A3 S Line ED 1 35 TFSI MHEV SA	1,123	87.8%
A5 S Line ED 1 40 TFSI MHEV SA	1,009	87.6%
Q3 S Line 35 TDI S-A	1,007	87.5%

How many Audi vehicles are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 2,075,694 licensed and 167,415 SORN Audi vehicles across 56 published model groups.

Licensed and SORN counts for every Audi model

Before you buy

Condition — 4.3% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
Tread Depth — 2.8% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
Headlamp Aim — 2.5% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
Springs — 2.1% of tests in 2024. A broken or sagging coil spring. Replaced in pairs, so it is not the cheapest failure.
Check the actual Audi — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Common questions

What is the Audi MOT pass rate?

77.8% of 1,426,634 class-4 initial MOT tests on Audi cars passed first time in 2024 — above the 71.2% UK average across all published models.

Which Audi has the best MOT pass rate?

Of the Audi model groups with a substantial sample, the Q2 has the highest initial pass rate at 90.4% across 65,918 tests. Pass rates track vehicle age closely, so newer model groups tend to sit higher.

Does a good Audi pass rate mean the car I am looking at is fine?

No. A model-level rate describes a population, not one vehicle. Enter the registration for that car's own MOT, tax and mileage record, and check for outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before you buy.

Methodology and limitations

MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.

Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Check the actual car

Enter the registration for that Audi's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.