Audi TT MOT pass rate & common failures
The Audi TT appears in 676,127 MOT tests spanning model years 1989–2024, and 82.6% of them passed. That is effectively the same as coupes & convertibles of a similar age (17.1% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst TT years
Ranked across TT 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 93.4% of the time while 2002 cars manage 71.0%, a 22.4-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.3%) and suspension (6.4%) 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 position lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 22,829 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.1% once past 150k — 4.9× the risk.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 2.6pp more often than diesel ones (17.9% vs 15.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every TT model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2,652 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 13,145 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 20,723 | 71.5% | 28.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 30,275 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 33,763 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 32,502 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 24,742 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 19,721 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 50,786 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 45,228 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 37,072 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 39,266 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 37,943 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 31,946 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 35,604 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 22,188 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 47,815 | 89.9% | 10.1% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 50,271 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 40,126 | 92.3% | 7.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 22,502 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 19,858 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 9,769 | 93.0% | 7.0% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 5,269 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 2,847 | 93.4% | 6.6% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 86 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.3% | 49,087 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.4% | 43,077 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.1% | 34,822 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.8% | 32,117 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 22,004 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.7% | 18,466 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.6% | 17,884 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.1% | 7,231 |
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 | 22,829 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 20,543 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 19,783 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 17,992 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 13,823 |
| 6 | Joints | 13,817 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 12,595 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 11,371 |
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 | 24.4% | 164,997 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.9% | 141,621 |
| 3 | Suspension | 18.6% | 125,780 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 45,544 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.3% | 42,813 |
| 6 | Other defects | 5.5% | 37,046 |
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 | 78,905 | 5.8% |
| 30-60k | 162,371 | 10.4% |
| 60-90k | 171,219 | 17.5% |
| 90-120k | 148,077 | 23.6% |
| 120-150k | 81,118 | 26.7% |
| 150k+ | 34,142 | 28.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 563,001 | 17.9% |
| Diesel | 113,110 | 15.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 137,504 | 18.0% |
| 2022 | 137,418 | 17.2% |
| 2023 | 136,816 | 17.4% |
| 2024 | 133,361 | 17.6% |
| 2025 | 131,028 | 16.9% |
What to check before buying a Audi TT
- Lighting & signalling (7.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.4% 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.
- Tyres (5.1% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi TT?
82.6% of the 676,127 Audi TT MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.4% fail rate, across model years 1989–2024.
What does the Audi TT most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.3% of tests, then suspension (6.4%).
Which TT years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.4% and 2002 the weakest at 71.0%, from 2,847 and 30,275 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect TT MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.1% for 150k+, a 22.3-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol TT more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 15.2% of the time against 17.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 676,127 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.