Audi A8 common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 11,123 initial MOT tests on the Audi A8 in Great Britain, and 87.2% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Audi A8 at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 11,123
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 87.2%
Failed at firstIncluding 2.8% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 12.8%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 4.1%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 3,421 off the road (SORN): 9,339

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

Failure areas

Where the A8 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
4.0%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
2Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
3.2%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
3Suspension
2.7%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Brakes
2.3%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
2.3%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
2.0%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Body, chassis and structure
1.1%
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
0.5%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
9Steering
0.4%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.3%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

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.

ConditionTyres2.8%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks1.9%
Suspension armsSuspension1.8%
WashersVisibility1.5%
Tread depthTyres1.3%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics1.2%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes1.1%
WipersVisibility0.9%

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
2022	251	94.8%	1.6%
2021	290	94.8%	2.1%
2020	397	91.9%	4.3%
2019	727	92.3%	3.2%
2018	957	91.3%	3.3%
2017	660	92.3%	3.2%
2016	881	89.8%	3.5%
2015	920	91.7%	2.3%
2014	842	90.4%	3.4%
2013	692	89.9%	3.3%
2012	673	85.3%	4.2%
2011	667	85.0%	5.5%
2010	421	81.9%	6.2%
2009	336	81.3%	7.1%
2008	579	81.0%	5.5%
2007	468	76.7%	6.4%
2006	330	78.2%	4.8%
2005	269	77.7%	7.8%

Mileage

A8 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	29,200 miles	255
4 years	47,000 miles	372
5 years	51,000 miles	543
6 years	60,000 miles	914
7 years	67,000 miles	679
8 years	75,600 miles	826
9 years	83,600 miles	904
10 years	96,400 miles	853
11 years	103,100 miles	793
12 years	113,900 miles	673
13 years	119,000 miles	636
14 years	123,800 miles	551
15 years	135,800 miles	388
16 years	144,600 miles	393
17 years	145,700 miles	606
18 years	148,700 miles	375
19 years	146,500 miles	297

Checking a particular A8?

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 A8: common questions

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

What is the most common MOT failure on the Audi A8?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Audi A8 was tyres: 4.0% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 6.2% for all cars and vans. Next came lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (3.2%) and suspension (2.7%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi A8?

87.2% of 11,123 initial MOT tests on the Audi A8 in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 2.8% 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 A8 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. 4.1% of initial tests on the Audi A8 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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