2019 Audi A7 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Audi A7 passed 91.0% of its 6,546 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.3 percentage points better than executive cars of a similar age, which fail at 10.3%. Failures cluster in tyres, emissions & environmental and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 5.7% of all tests — 4.1 points clear of emissions & environmental, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, malfunction indicator lamp and registration plates — tread depth alone was recorded 302 times.
A 120-150k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 15.6% versus 7.9%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 8.2% of the time against 9.1% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 19.2% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 4.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.7% | 373 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 102 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 79 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.0% | 68 |
| 5 | Visibility | 0.9% | 58 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 50 |
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 | 302 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 99 |
| 3 | Registration plates | 80 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 71 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 69 |
| 6 | Wipers | 31 |
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 | 19.2% | 1,255 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.3% | 741 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.0% | 395 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.8% | 312 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.6% | 236 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.3% | 18 |
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 | 1,934 | 7.9% |
| 30-60k | 3,235 | 9.6% |
| 60-90k | 1,115 | 8.7% |
| 90-120k | 208 | 9.6% |
| 120-150k | 45 | 15.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 5,918 | 9.1% |
| Petrol | 625 | 8.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 69 | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 1,692 | 8.6% |
| 2023 | 1,648 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 1,576 | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 1,561 | 9.0% |
What to check before buying a 2019 A7
On a 2019 A7, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (1.6% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Lighting & signalling (1.2% 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
How many 2019 Audi A7s pass their MOT?
91.0% of the 6,546 2019 Audi A7 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Audi A7?
Tyres, recorded in 5.7% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (1.6%).
Does the 2019 A7 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.9% in the 0-30k band to 15.6% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,546 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.