In 2025, 226,295 Audi A4 cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 72% passed first time, compared with 68% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the A4 better than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 74 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 5 years old, 87% of A4s passed first time (all cars that age: 86%). By 20 years, that figure is 62% (all cars: 58%). It beats the average car at every age with enough data, from 9 to 20 years.
Audi A4 All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | A4 passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 5,824 | 87% | 86% | 48,152 |
| 6 years | 12,706 | 84% | 84% | 57,568 |
| 7 years | 13,515 | 80% | 81% | 66,378 |
| 8 years | 21,016 | 79% | 78% | 79,564 |
| 9 years | 21,677 | 78% | 75% | 90,669 |
| 10 years | 16,055 | 74% | 72% | 100,486 |
| 11 years | 16,497 | 73% | 69% | 109,696 |
| 12 years | 15,546 | 72% | 66% | 116,653 |
| 13 years | 12,865 | 71% | 63% | 126,498 |
| 14 years | 13,121 | 69% | 61% | 135,989 |
| 15 years | 12,048 | 66% | 59% | 140,332 |
| 16 years | 11,445 | 65% | 58% | 142,389 |
| 17 years | 13,078 | 63% | 57% | 139,877 |
| 18 years | 12,412 | 64% | 57% | 136,201 |
| 19 years | 10,425 | 63% | 57% | 136,535 |
| 20 years | 5,676 | 62% | 58% | 138,399 |
What fails most on a Audi A4
The area that lets the A4 down most, relative to other cars, is body and structure: 5.6% of tests failed on it, 1.4 times the rate for the average car. It does comparatively well on steering and visibility.
Share of A4 tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 6.1% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 5.5% |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | Suspension | 5.5% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 4.4% |
| A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Body and structure | 3.9% |
| A tyre seriously damaged | Tyres | 3.3% |
What to check when buying a used A4
Based on where the A4 fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
- Suspension: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, look for leaking shock absorbers, and check the car sits level. Ask whether springs, bushes or drop links have been replaced. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific A4
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a A4Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Audi A4?
In 2025, 72% of Audi A4 cars passed their MOT first time, across 226,295 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 68%.
What do Audi A4 cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (6.1% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (5.5% of tests); a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened (5.5% of tests).
Other Audi models
Audi A3 (74%), Audi A1 (75%), Audi A5 (76%), Audi A6 (79%), Audi TT (77%), Audi Q3 (79%). All Audi models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.