2009 Audi A5 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2009 Audi A5 passed 79.9% of its 37,790 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.6 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (8.1%) and lighting & signalling (7.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 2,016 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.5% once past 150k — 3.7× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 18.4% fail against 21.3% for diesel, a 2.9-point gap across 37,790 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 8.1% | 3,067 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.6% | 2,876 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.4% | 2,814 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.7% | 1,389 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.5% | 1,326 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.2% | 1,197 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 2,016 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,646 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,585 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 942 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 900 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 852 |
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 | 28.3% | 10,691 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.0% | 10,570 |
| 3 | Brakes | 18.9% | 7,124 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.3% | 2,765 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 2,378 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 2,196 |
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 | 182 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,659 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 6,734 | 18.0% |
| 90-120k | 11,521 | 19.8% |
| 120-150k | 9,610 | 21.4% |
| 150k+ | 8,073 | 22.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 21,867 | 21.3% |
| Petrol | 15,923 | 18.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,436 | 19.7% |
| 2022 | 8,134 | 19.5% |
| 2023 | 7,714 | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 7,058 | 20.4% |
| 2025 | 6,448 | 20.6% |
What to check before buying a 2009 A5
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 8.1% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (8.1% 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 (7.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (7.4% 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
How many 2009 Audi A5s pass their MOT?
79.9% of the 37,790 2009 Audi A5 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2009 Audi A5?
Suspension, recorded in 8.1% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (7.6%).
Does the 2009 A5 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.0% in the 0-30k band to 22.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 37,790 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.