Audi A6 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 32 model years and 739,365 tests, the Audi A6 passes its MOT 85.3% of the time. That is 1.9 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 16.6%. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst A6 years
Ranked across A6 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 — 97.7% of 2023 examples pass against 72.1% of 1999 ones.
No single area dominates — tyres (6.2%) and lighting & signalling (5.6%) 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 pins and bushes — tread depth alone was recorded 27,027 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.5% in the 0-30k band and 20.8% in the 150k+ band, a 14.3-point spread — more than double.
The hybrid cars hold up better: 4.3% fail against 14.9% for diesel, a 10.6-point gap across 672,425 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every A6 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 134 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 325 | 79.1% | 20.9% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 659 | 77.7% | 22.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 555 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 636 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 1,291 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 1,767 | 74.3% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 1,911 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 3,860 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 6,089 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 8,982 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 15,073 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 24,746 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 40,753 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 39,781 | 79.0% | 21.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 27,891 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 42,269 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 43,566 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 48,548 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 61,043 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 62,392 | 86.5% | 13.5% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 64,388 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 74,978 | 89.1% | 10.9% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 52,499 | 90.3% | 9.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 46,437 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 40,307 | 91.4% | 8.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 12,034 | 92.6% | 7.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 10,295 | 92.5% | 7.4% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 4,608 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 1,049 | 97.7% | 2.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 493 | 97.4% | 2.6% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 6.2% | 45,535 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.6% | 41,428 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.7% | 34,698 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.7% | 19,743 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 16,785 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.2% | 16,059 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 14,260 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.0% | 7,213 |
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 | 27,027 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 22,517 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 15,489 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 13,063 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 11,888 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 11,140 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 11,130 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 9,150 |
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 | 24.6% | 181,708 |
| 2 | Suspension | 17.4% | 128,956 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.3% | 120,795 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.2% | 60,705 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.3% | 46,249 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.0% | 37,102 |
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 | 39,919 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 131,339 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 155,022 | 12.4% |
| 90-120k | 146,260 | 15.5% |
| 120-150k | 118,179 | 18.0% |
| 150k+ | 148,465 | 20.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 668,513 | 14.9% |
| Petrol | 66,919 | 13.2% |
| Hybrid | 3,912 | 4.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 149,906 | 14.9% |
| 2022 | 153,203 | 14.5% |
| 2023 | 149,305 | 14.7% |
| 2024 | 145,913 | 14.9% |
| 2025 | 141,038 | 14.5% |
What to check before buying a Audi A6
- Tyres (6.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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.
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 A6?
85.3% of the 739,365 Audi A6 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 14.7% fail rate, across model years 1994–2025.
What does the Audi A6 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 6.2% of tests, then lighting & signalling (5.6%).
Which A6 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 97.7% and 1999 the weakest at 72.1%, from 1,049 and 1,291 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect A6 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 20.8% for 150k+, a 14.3-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel A6 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 4.3% of the time against 14.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 739,365 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.