Audi A6 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 122,796 initial MOT tests on the Audi A6 in Great Britain, and 79.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Audi A6 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 122,796
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 79.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 3.6% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 20.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 6.5%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 20,433 off the road (SORN): 128,223

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

Failure areas

Where the A6 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.

1Tyres
6.7%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
2Suspension
5.8%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
5.6%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
4Brakes
2.8%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Noise, emissions and leaks
2.7%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
6Visibility
2.6%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
2.5%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Seat belts and airbags
1.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Steering
0.5%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
10Road wheels
0.4%
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.

ConditionTyres4.1%
Tread depthTyres2.7%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks2.6%
Suspension armsSuspension2.5%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.5%
SpringsSuspension1.7%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes1.6%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics1.6%

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
2024	338	92.9%	1.8%
2023	614	94.8%	1.5%
2022	4,095	90.9%	4.7%
2021	4,592	90.9%	3.6%
2020	3,463	90.2%	4.4%
2019	8,731	88.2%	4.9%
2018	8,077	85.9%	5.6%
2017	9,203	85.1%	5.0%
2016	12,924	83.5%	5.7%
2015	11,023	82.1%	6.0%
2014	10,369	79.5%	6.6%
2013	10,004	79.3%	6.5%
2012	7,665	77.9%	6.7%
2011	6,505	72.7%	7.9%
2010	6,142	69.3%	9.7%
2009	3,817	68.8%	8.6%
2008	4,672	65.7%	9.8%
2007	4,411	65.6%	9.7%
2006	2,403	64.7%	10.3%
2005	1,365	63.9%	10.5%
2004	799	62.6%	9.3%
2003	570	64.0%	9.6%
2002	310	58.4%	7.4%

Mileage

A6 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
1 year	53,000 miles	549
2 years	29,800 miles	3,225
3 years	36,600 miles	4,285
4 years	46,000 miles	3,678
5 years	56,400 miles	6,625
6 years	65,300 miles	8,178
7 years	74,900 miles	8,480
8 years	86,400 miles	11,149
9 years	96,500 miles	11,735
10 years	106,600 miles	10,434
11 years	114,800 miles	10,126
12 years	125,000 miles	8,624
13 years	134,200 miles	7,152
14 years	142,200 miles	6,117
15 years	150,700 miles	5,247
16 years	154,900 miles	3,874
17 years	160,400 miles	4,787
18 years	163,700 miles	3,474
19 years	163,400 miles	1,863
20 years	157,600 miles	1,097
21 years	152,300 miles	619
22 years	142,200 miles	462

Checking a particular A6?

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 A6: common questions

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

What is the most common MOT failure on the Audi A6?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Audi A6 was tyres: 6.7% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.2% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (5.8%) and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (5.6%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi A6?

79.7% of 122,796 initial MOT tests on the Audi A6 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 3.6% 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 A6 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. 6.5% of initial tests on the Audi A6 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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