Audi A4 MOT pass rate & common failures
1,591,058 MOT tests on the Audi A4 (1985–2025) give it an 81.3% pass rate. Executive cars of a similar age fail at 17.9%, so the A4 sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst A4 years
Ranked across A4 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 90.6% of 2022 examples pass against 72.9% of 2000 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.6%) and suspension (7.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and coil spring — headlamp aim alone was recorded 77,239 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.8% in the 0-30k band and 24.6% in the 150k+ band, a 16.8-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 16.5% fail against 19.7% for diesel, a 3.2-point gap across 1,590,832 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every A4 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 509 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 1,437 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 2,170 | 73.6% | 26.5% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 3,744 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 5,746 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 7,540 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 8,024 | 73.3% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 18,458 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 33,817 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 54,779 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 62,691 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 96,827 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 108,967 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 106,804 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 85,361 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 83,642 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 86,225 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 83,053 | 81.8% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 97,545 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 101,826 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 98,135 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 128,775 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 122,125 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 78,693 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 60,690 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 28,982 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 16,336 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 7,736 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 396 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.6% | 120,792 |
| 2 | Suspension | 7.5% | 118,992 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.4% | 101,843 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.6% | 73,480 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 52,426 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.8% | 44,395 |
| 7 | Visibility | 2.6% | 41,635 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.0% | 15,829 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 77,239 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 63,600 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 52,088 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 42,113 |
| 5 | Joints | 41,259 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 28,689 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 28,350 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 25,827 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.3% | 418,885 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.6% | 390,787 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.4% | 325,406 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.3% | 148,531 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.2% | 97,923 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.6% | 88,561 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 85,413 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 265,950 | 11.6% |
| 60-90k | 319,243 | 16.5% |
| 90-120k | 333,990 | 20.4% |
| 120-150k | 279,622 | 22.7% |
| 150k+ | 305,607 | 24.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,095,616 | 19.7% |
| Petrol | 495,216 | 16.5% |
| Hybrid | 167 | 10.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 337,397 | 18.5% |
| 2022 | 332,384 | 18.4% |
| 2023 | 322,298 | 18.8% |
| 2024 | 306,548 | 18.9% |
| 2025 | 292,431 | 18.9% |
What to check before buying a Audi A4
- Lighting & signalling (7.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (7.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (6.4% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi A4?
81.3% of the 1,591,058 Audi A4 MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 18.7% fail rate, across model years 1985–2025.
What does the Audi A4 most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.6% of tests, then suspension (7.5%).
Which A4 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 90.6% and 2000 the weakest at 72.9%, from 7,736 and 7,540 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect A4 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 24.6% for 150k+, a 16.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel A4 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 16.5% of the time against 19.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,591,058 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.