1,277 tests in 2025
Audi Rs4 reliability and MOT pass rate
87.3% passed first time. The 12.7% fail rate is 9.9 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 18 years old with 88,854 miles.
Pass rate
87.3%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.7% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
88,854 mi
18 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2 | — |
| 6-9 years | 23 | — |
| 10-13 years | 384 | 10.9% |
| 14+ years | 867 | 13.3% |
What the Rs4 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.
- Suspension4 dangerous29.6%
- Tyres50 dangerous27.8%
- Brakes20 dangerous26.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment24.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous21.6%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous14.8%
- Visibility6.2%
- Road Wheels1 dangerous3.1%
Is the Rs4 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.3 points to 12.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,197 | 15 | 14.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,150 | 16 | 14.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,012 | 17 | 15% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,047 | 18 | 12.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Rs4 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 Rs4 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt21 tests
- 2Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits20 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed20 tests
- 4Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt17 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding11 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords11 tests
- 7Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure9 tests
- 8Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction9 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Rs4 collects 2.61 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.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn94 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened93 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm89 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded47 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick43 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak42 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine40 tests
- 8Flexible brake hoses: ferrule excessively corroded36 tests
Questions
What is the Audi Rs4 MOT pass rate?
87.3% of the 1,277 Audi Rs4 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.7% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Audi Rs4 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 21 failed tests, followed by "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, suspension appears in 29.6% of failures, tyres appears in 27.8% of failures, brakes appears in 26.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 13.3%. The median Audi Rs4 tested in 2025 was 18 years old with 88,854 miles.
Is the Audi Rs4 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.3 points to 12.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 1.4 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 Rs4 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Audi models
Checking a particular Rs4?
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.