Audi RS4 MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 29 model years and 10,096 tests, the Audi RS4 passes its MOT 88.3% of the time. Executive cars of a similar age fail 18.9% of the time, so this is 7.1pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst RS4 years
Ranked across RS4 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 2020 (91.9% pass rate); the weakest is 2007 (85.3%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (3.8%) and lighting & signalling (3.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, headlamp aim and joints — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 199 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.2% versus 6.0%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 16.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 13.1% in 2021 to 9.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every RS4 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 263 | 89.7% | 10.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 512 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 30 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2006 | 2,117 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 2,479 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 144 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 92 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 970 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 1,094 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 138 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 56 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Suspension |
| 2020 | 1,165 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 671 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 289 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.8% | 380 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.4% | 347 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.3% | 334 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.8% | 283 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 231 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.8% | 186 |
| 7 | Visibility | 0.9% | 91 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.5% | 52 |
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 | 199 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 187 |
| 3 | Joints | 179 |
| 4 | Ball joint dust cover | 131 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 129 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 102 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 96 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 95 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 16.2% | 1,640 |
| 2 | Suspension | 15.1% | 1,527 |
| 3 | Tyres | 14.4% | 1,458 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.6% | 464 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.0% | 399 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.9% | 295 |
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 | 1,389 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 2,421 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 2,752 | 11.6% |
| 90-120k | 2,305 | 15.4% |
| 120-150k | 924 | 14.6% |
| 150k+ | 303 | 17.2% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,676 | 13.1% |
| 2022 | 1,649 | 12.8% |
| 2023 | 1,973 | 12.5% |
| 2024 | 2,295 | 11.6% |
| 2025 | 2,503 | 9.7% |
What to check before buying a Audi RS4
- Tyres (3.8% 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 (3.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (3.3% 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 RS4?
88.3% of the 10,096 Audi RS4 MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.8% fail rate, across model years 1995–2023.
What does the Audi RS4 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 3.8% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.4%).
Which RS4 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 91.9% and 2007 the weakest at 85.3%, from 1,165 and 2,479 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect RS4 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 17.2% for 150k+, a 11.1-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 10,096 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.