228,619 tests in 2025
Audi A4 reliability and MOT pass rate
77.3% passed first time. The 22.7% fail rate is 0.1 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 102,390 miles.
Pass rate
77.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 22.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
102,390 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 20,400 | 10.8% |
| 6-9 years | 64,430 | 17.8% |
| 10-13 years | 57,386 | 22.9% |
| 14+ years | 86,102 | 29.2% |
What the A4 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension953 dangerous43.7%
- Tyres18,661 dangerous32.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment72 dangerous23.2%
- Brakes4,973 dangerous20%
- Body, chassis, structure281 dangerous18.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks78 dangerous12%
- Visibility26 dangerous9.7%
- Steering107 dangerous5.3%
Is the A4 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 23.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 276,594 | 11 | 22% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 264,163 | 11 | 22.7% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 221,332 | — | 23.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 216,947 | — | 23.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical A4 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a A4 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken9,645 tests
- 2Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt6,901 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm6,669 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,173 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction4,155 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed3,946 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords3,591 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,267 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical A4 collects 2.77 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm42,540 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn33,839 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened18,776 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick18,463 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure12,503 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine11,497 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak11,360 tests
- 8Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened11,180 tests
Questions
What is the Audi A4 MOT pass rate?
77.3% of the 228,619 Audi A4 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 22.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Audi A4 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 9,645 failed tests, followed by "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 43.7% of failures, tyres appears in 32.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 23.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 10.8%; at 14+ years it was 29.2%. The median Audi A4 tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 102,390 miles.
Is the Audi A4 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.4 points to 23.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every A4 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 32 safety recalls naming the Audi A4: Audi A4 recalls.
Other Audi models
Checking a particular A4?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.