Pass rate, every year
888,073 tests across 24 model years, 2000–2023.
0.0 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
888,073 tests across 24 model years, 2000–2023.
0.0 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2023 91.4%
The strongest of the 24 years on record. See the 2023 page →
Worst year to buy
2000 73.5%
17.9 points below the 2023 peak. See the 2000 page →
The Audi A4 MOT pass rate is 81.0%, 0.0 percentage points above the UK average. That is 888,073 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2023. This page lists the most common Audi A4 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Audi A4 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Audi A4 passed on its first attempt in 77.2%, and its overall record sits 0.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Audi A4 in the 2023–2025 data: 888,073 tests across 24 model years (2000–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 888,073 |
| Overall pass rate | 81.0% |
| Passed on first attempt | 77.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 105,204 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2023 (24 years) |
| Versus UK national average | 0.0 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Audi A4, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 29% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 19% |
| Visibility | 17% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 16% |
| Tyres | 9% |
| Steering | 5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4% |
| Brakes | 2% |
Shares are over the Audi A4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 29% of the recorded Audi A4 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (3.1%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (1.6%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (1.5%) among the Audi A4's suspension faults.
Around 19% of the recorded Audi A4 failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (2.9%), "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (2.2%) among the Audi A4's body, chassis, structure faults.
Around 17% of the recorded Audi A4 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (3.9%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.2%) among the Audi A4's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Audi A4, each with how many of the model's 888,073 tests it was noted on.
1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated | 2.1% | 0.4% | 5.3× | £25–£70 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (888,073 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items A4 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Audi A4 model year on record is 2023 (91.4% across 278 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (73.5%). The gap between them is 17.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Audi A4 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.8 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 A4 | 278 | 91.4% |
| 2022 A4 | 5,524 | 90.7% |
| 2021 A4 | 13,017 | 90.0% |
| 2020 A4 | 23,343 | 90.3% |
| 2019 A4 | 42,722 | 88.7% |
| 2018 A4 | 45,924 | 86.6% |
| 2017 A4 | 72,304 | 85.6% |
| 2016 A4 | 75,967 | 84.4% |
| 2015 A4 | 57,294 | 82.8% |
| 2014 A4 | 59,637 | 81.9% |
| 2013 A4 | 56,913 | 81.6% |
| 2012 A4 | 47,965 | 81.0% |
| 2011 A4 | 49,604 | 79.7% |
| 2010 A4 | 47,555 | 78.2% |
| 2009 A4 | 47,021 | 77.2% |
| 2008 A4 | 56,591 | 76.3% |
| 2007 A4 | 55,878 | 76.1% |
| 2006 A4 | 48,330 | 75.5% |
| 2005 A4 | 28,353 | 75.1% |
| 2004 A4 | 24,721 | 74.2% |
| 2003 A4 | 14,432 | 74.1% |
| 2002 A4 | 7,722 | 73.6% |
| 2001 A4 | 3,458 | 74.5% |
| 2000 A4 | 3,520 | 73.5% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Audi A4's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Audi A4.
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Audi A4. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
81.0% of the 888,073 recorded Audi A4 MOT tests ended in a pass, 0.0 percentage points above the national average. 77.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
2023 is the strongest Audi A4 year on record at 91.4%, while 2000 is the weakest at 73.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Audi A4 failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Coil spring fractured or broken" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.