Audi A4 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 243,351 initial MOT tests on the Audi A4 in Great Britain, and 73.0% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Audi A4 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 243,351
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 73.0%
Failed at firstIncluding 4.3% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 27.0%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 7.9%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 45,306 off the road (SORN): 236,488

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the A4 fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Suspension
10.0%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
8.0%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Tyres
7.5%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
4Brakes
4.7%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Body, chassis and structure
4.3%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
3.2%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Visibility
3.1%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
8Steering
1.2%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
1.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.5%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

ConditionTyres4.7%
SpringsSuspension4.4%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics4.2%
Suspension armsSuspension3.8%
TransmissionBody and structure3.2%
Tread depthTyres3.1%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.1%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes2.0%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	334	88.3%	4.2%
2022	6,712	87.7%	5.8%
2021	7,139	87.7%	6.0%
2020	8,442	87.5%	5.8%
2019	13,109	83.7%	6.6%
2018	13,518	79.9%	6.3%
2017	21,023	78.9%	6.3%
2016	21,683	78.5%	6.2%
2015	16,062	73.7%	8.2%
2014	16,511	72.7%	8.4%
2013	15,555	72.5%	8.0%
2012	12,874	70.9%	8.9%
2011	13,129	68.6%	8.9%
2010	12,052	65.9%	9.1%
2009	11,447	64.9%	9.6%
2008	13,087	62.8%	10.3%
2007	12,415	64.1%	9.2%
2006	10,426	62.9%	9.5%
2005	5,680	62.1%	9.4%
2004	4,998	61.9%	9.1%
2003	2,805	61.1%	9.7%
2002	1,469	61.3%	10.3%
2001	688	63.4%	7.8%
2000	754	61.9%	7.2%

Mileage

A4 mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	27,600 miles	5,203
3 years	36,500 miles	6,613
4 years	43,300 miles	7,890
5 years	50,200 miles	10,950
6 years	58,700 miles	12,169
7 years	68,900 miles	17,888
8 years	81,800 miles	21,959
9 years	91,000 miles	17,363
10 years	101,600 miles	16,548
11 years	109,400 miles	15,930
12 years	119,100 miles	14,101
13 years	129,300 miles	12,775
14 years	135,500 miles	12,236
15 years	140,900 miles	11,891
16 years	140,400 miles	12,516
17 years	136,200 miles	12,183
18 years	134,900 miles	11,922
19 years	134,100 miles	7,998
20 years	138,100 miles	5,265
21 years	142,400 miles	3,911
22 years	141,700 miles	2,177
23 years	151,000 miles	981
24 years	142,900 miles	755
25 years	151,900 miles	695

Checking a particular A4?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Audi A4: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Audi A4?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Audi A4 was suspension: 10.0% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 9.0% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (8.0%) and tyres (7.5%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi A4?

73.0% of 243,351 initial MOT tests on the Audi A4 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 4.3% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Audi A4 is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 7.9% of initial tests on the Audi A4 found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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