Audi A4 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

81.0% Around average

888,073 tests across 24 model years, 2000–2023.

0.0 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Audi A4 really fares

81.0% of its MOTs pass — over 888,073 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

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.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Audi A4 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Audi A4 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

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.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed888,073
Overall pass rate81.0%
Passed on first attempt77.2%
Average mileage at test105,204 mi
Model years covered2000–2023 (24 years)
Versus UK national average0.0 pts above

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Audi A4 MOT Problems by Failure Category

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 Est. recorded instances
Suspension 29% 66,847
Body, chassis, structure 19% 44,833
Visibility 17% 39,877
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 16% 36,352
Tyres 9% 20,843
Steering 5% 10,516
Noise, emissions and leaks 4% 8,366
Brakes 2% 4,588

Shares are over the Audi A4's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Suspension

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.

Body, chassis, structure

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.

Visibility

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.

Top Recorded Audi A4 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

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.

  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 34,408 Audi A4 tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 27,244 Audi A4 tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 27,043 Audi A4 tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 25,310 Audi A4 tests, 2.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 19,523 Audi A4 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 14,569 Audi A4 tests, 1.6% of the model's MOT record.

What A4 fails on more than most

1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes · year by year → 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

Best and Worst Audi A4 Model Years by Pass Rate

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 First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2023 A4 278 91.4% 90.8% 27,331 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2022 A4 5,524 90.7% 89.9% 32,301 mi Has ply or cords exposed
2021 A4 13,017 90.0% 89.1% 38,151 mi Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough
2020 A4 23,343 90.3% 89.3% 39,186 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2019 A4 42,722 88.7% 87.4% 48,796 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2018 A4 45,924 86.6% 84.7% 57,980 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2017 A4 72,304 85.6% 83.4% 71,144 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2016 A4 75,967 84.4% 81.8% 82,465 mi Coil spring fractured or broken
2015 A4 57,294 82.8% 79.5% 93,394 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2014 A4 59,637 81.9% 78.3% 103,422 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2013 A4 56,913 81.6% 77.8% 110,629 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2012 A4 47,965 81.0% 76.9% 120,845 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2011 A4 49,604 79.7% 75.1% 130,370 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2010 A4 47,555 78.2% 73.0% 135,504 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2009 A4 47,021 77.2% 71.5% 138,194 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2008 A4 56,591 76.3% 70.3% 137,085 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated
2007 A4 55,878 76.1% 70.2% 135,707 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2006 A4 48,330 75.5% 69.2% 137,058 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2005 A4 28,353 75.1% 68.8% 139,160 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2004 A4 24,721 74.2% 67.5% 145,962 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2003 A4 14,432 74.1% 67.5% 148,444 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2002 A4 7,722 73.6% 66.6% 153,391 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2001 A4 3,458 74.5% 68.2% 149,589 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2000 A4 3,520 73.5% 66.7% 148,798 mi Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Audi A4 Owners

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.

Frequently Asked Questions: Audi A4 MOT & Reliability

What is the Audi A4 MOT pass rate?

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.

Which Audi A4 model years pass the MOT most often?

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.

What are the most common Audi A4 MOT failures?

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.