Audi A5 vs BMW 3 Series
The Audi A5 has the better MOT record of the two — 15.3% fail rate versus 17.4% for the BMW 3 Series across comparable years. The biggest single difference is lighting & signalling, where the 3 Series records failures noticeably more often.
15.3%
A5 fail rate
17.4%
3 Series fail rate
2.06pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | Audi A5 | BMW 3 Series |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 713,270 | 2,987,237 |
| Pass rate | 84.7% | 82.6% |
| Fail rate | 15.3% | 17.4% |
Where they differ
| Category | A5 | 3 Series |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 7.7% |
| Brakes | 2.6% | 5.6% |
| Suspension | 4.7% | 5.7% |
| Tyres | 7.3% | 6.3% |
| Visibility | 2.3% | 3.0% |
Methodology & source. 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.