Audi S8 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Audi S8 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Audi S8 passed on its first attempt in 84.1%, and its overall record sits +5.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Audi S8 in the 2023–2025 data: 400 tests across 5 model years (2002–2020). 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 S8 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Audi S8, the Body, chassis, structure 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 S8's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Audi S8 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Audi S8, each with how many of the model's 400 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 26 Audi S8 tests, 6.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 15 Audi S8 tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 11 Audi S8 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 9 Audi S8 tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 6 Audi S8 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 6 Audi S8 tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Audi S8 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Audi S8 model year on record is 2020 (94.4% across 54 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (78.8%). The gap between them is 15.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Audi S8 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.0 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 S8 Owners

These checks follow this Audi S8's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Audi S8.

• the lights — “position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning”

  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 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 wipers and washers — “wipers blade defective”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Audi S8. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Audi S8 MOT & Reliability