Audi A6 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Audi A6 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Audi A6 passed on its first attempt in 83.1%, and its overall record sits +4.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Audi A6 in the 2023–2025 data: 428,117 tests across 25 model years (2000–2024). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

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

Most Common Audi A6 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Audi A6, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Audi A6's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Audi A6 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Audi A6, each with how many of the model's 428,117 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 17,555 Audi A6 tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 11,570 Audi A6 tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 5,771 Audi A6 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 5,610 Audi A6 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 5,552 Audi A6 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 5,488 Audi A6 tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Audi A6 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Audi A6 model year on record is 2023 (97.6% across 1,007 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (72.4%). The gap between them is 25.2 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Audi A6 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Audi A6 Owners

These checks follow this Audi A6's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Audi A6.

• 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 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.

• 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Audi A6. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Audi A6 MOT & Reliability