Audi A5 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Audi A5 appears in 713,270 MOT tests spanning model years 2002–2025, and 84.7% of them passed. That is effectively the same as executive cars of a similar age (15.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst A5 years
Ranked across A5 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
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (91.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2008 (78.8%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (7.3%) and suspension (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and coil spring — tread depth alone was recorded 29,198 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 21.4% versus 7.8%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.7pp more often than petrol ones (16.8% vs 13.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every A5 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 8,802 | 81.0% | 19.1% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 26,496 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 37,790 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 63,701 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 59,626 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 56,560 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 64,225 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 63,243 | 84.5% | 15.5% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 60,531 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 48,456 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 80,122 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 65,290 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 44,876 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 16,426 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 11,905 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 4,976 | 91.6% | 8.4% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 233 | 94.0% | 6.0% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 7.3% | 52,072 |
| 2 | Suspension | 4.7% | 33,832 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 29,340 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.6% | 18,808 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 16,516 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.6% | 11,610 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 11,284 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.5% | 3,406 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 29,198 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 20,608 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 13,673 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 13,357 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 11,998 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 11,573 |
| 7 | Wipers | 9,427 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 8,946 |
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 | 26.1% | 185,823 |
| 2 | Suspension | 18.1% | 129,482 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.9% | 113,651 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.9% | 49,016 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 27,775 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 16,513 |
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 | 74,604 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 186,781 | 11.5% |
| 60-90k | 180,911 | 15.8% |
| 90-120k | 138,149 | 18.9% |
| 120-150k | 80,755 | 20.3% |
| 150k+ | 51,791 | 21.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 431,353 | 16.8% |
| Petrol | 281,810 | 13.1% |
| Hybrid | 98 | 7.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 131,823 | 14.0% |
| 2022 | 141,200 | 14.5% |
| 2023 | 144,860 | 15.6% |
| 2024 | 146,972 | 16.0% |
| 2025 | 148,415 | 16.5% |
What to check before buying a Audi A5
- Tyres (7.3% 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.
- Suspension (4.7% 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 (4.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 A5?
84.7% of the 713,270 Audi A5 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.3% fail rate, across model years 2002–2025.
What does the Audi A5 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 7.3% of tests, then suspension (4.7%).
Which A5 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 91.6% and 2008 the weakest at 78.8%, from 4,976 and 26,496 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect A5 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 21.4% for 150k+, a 13.6-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel A5 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 13.1% of the time against 16.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 713,270 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.