4,891 tests in 2025
Audi Q8 reliability and MOT pass rate
91.5% passed first time. The 8.5% fail rate is 14.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 45,140 miles.
Pass rate
91.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 8.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
45,140 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2,691 | 8.4% |
| 6-9 years | 2,108 | 9% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Q8 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.
- Tyres185 dangerous59%
- Brakes46 dangerous15.3%
- Visibility12.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks11%
- Identification of the vehicle7.7%
- Suspension6.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment5%
- Road Wheels7 dangerous3.6%
Is the Q8 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 8.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,374 | 3 | 7.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,811 | 4 | 8.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,332 | 5 | 7.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,491 | 6 | 8.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Q8 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 Q8 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords123 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm87 tests
- 3Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction45 tests
- 4Condition: has ply or cords exposed38 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick36 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively31 tests
- 7Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements29 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn17 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Q8 collects 2.14 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 1.6mm651 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened387 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick351 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn187 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre172 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt133 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm116 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn113 tests
Questions
What is the Audi Q8 MOT pass rate?
91.5% of the 4,891 Audi Q8 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 8.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Audi Q8 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 123 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction". By section, tyres appears in 59% of failures, brakes appears in 15.3% of failures, visibility appears in 12.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.4%; at 6-9 years it was 9%. The median Audi Q8 tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 45,140 miles.
Is the Audi Q8 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 8.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Q8 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 9 safety recalls naming the Audi Q8: Audi Q8 recalls.
Other Audi models
Checking a particular Q8?
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.