2000 Audi A4 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2000 Audi A4 passed 72.9% of its 7,540 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.4 percentage points worse than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 23.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (13.4%) and lighting & signalling (10.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, ball joint and joints — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 642 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.9% versus 19.1%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 26.5% fail against 28.2% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 7,540 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 41.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.4% | 1,012 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.7% | 803 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.4% | 706 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.3% | 623 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 7.7% | 578 |
| 6 | Steering | 5.0% | 379 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 642 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 546 |
| 3 | Joints | 533 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 367 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 356 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 328 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 41.1% | 3,102 |
| 2 | Brakes | 31.6% | 2,382 |
| 3 | Tyres | 25.7% | 1,939 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 19.9% | 1,498 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 16.8% | 1,266 |
| 6 | Other defects | 13.6% | 1,025 |
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 | 47 | 19.1% |
| 30-60k | 256 | 16.0% |
| 60-90k | 731 | 24.6% |
| 90-120k | 1,389 | 24.8% |
| 120-150k | 1,674 | 26.3% |
| 150k+ | 3,430 | 29.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 4,793 | 26.5% |
| Diesel | 2,747 | 28.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,204 | 27.4% |
| 2022 | 1,777 | 28.3% |
| 2023 | 1,454 | 27.2% |
| 2024 | 1,146 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 959 | 27.1% |
What to check before buying a 2000 A4
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 13.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (13.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (10.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.4% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2000 Audi A4s pass their MOT?
72.9% of the 7,540 2000 Audi A4 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 27.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2000 Audi A4?
Suspension, recorded in 13.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (10.7%).
Does the 2000 A4 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 19.1% in the 0-30k band to 29.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,540 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.