Audi A4
From 409,974 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer A4s fare better: 2021 models pass at 95.1% vs 69.2% for 1997.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements and a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 15,039 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 15,039 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 11,165 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 10,566 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 8,578 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 7,946 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 7,810 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 5,099 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 4,445 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 4,444 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 3,515 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 30% of A4 failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 41.4% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £131.
The warranty question
A new A4 passes its MOT 90.9% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 83.7%, a 7.2 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 80.1%. With an average repair bill of £131 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a A4 that's past its third birthday.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 82.6% while Diesel versions pass at 77.3%, a 5 percentage point gap.
Audi A4 on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 17,159 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 1,399 newly registered, a net loss of 15,760. At this rate, roughly 17.1 years until none remain. Now at 77.8% of its peak (346,517 in 2017 Q2).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 230,918 | 38,731 | +139 | -3,834 | -3,695 |
| 2025 Q2 | 235,090 | 38,254 | +127 | -4,486 | -4,359 |
| 2025 Q1 | 239,183 | 38,520 | +183 | -4,138 | -3,955 |
| 2024 Q4 | 243,499 | 38,159 | +950 | -4,701 | -3,751 |
| 2024 Q3 | 247,741 | 37,668 | +2,334 | -4,473 | -2,139 |
| 2024 Q2 | 250,142 | 37,406 | +2,433 | -4,289 | -1,856 |
| 2024 Q1 | 252,340 | 37,064 | +2,347 | -4,741 | -2,394 |
| 2023 Q4 | 255,506 | 36,292 | +2,367 | -3,584 | -1,217 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| A4 Technik Tdi | Diesel | 13,094 | 13% |
| A4 S Line Tdi | Diesel | 10,307 | 10% |
| A4 Sport Tfsi | Petrol | 7,445 | 8% |
| A4 S Line Black Edition Tdi | Diesel | 6,258 | 6% |
| A4 S Ln Blk Ed 35 Tfsi Mhev Sa | Petrol | 5,703 | 6% |
| A4 S Line Tdi S-A | Diesel | 5,414 | 5% |
| A4 Se Technik Tdi Cvt | Diesel | 4,782 | 5% |
| A4 Se Tdi Cvt | Diesel | 4,260 | 4% |
| A4 S Line 35 Tfsi Mhev S-A | Petrol | 3,968 | 4% |
| A4 Se Tdi | Diesel | 3,829 | 4% |
| A4 S Line 40 Tfsi Mhev S-A | Petrol | 3,760 | 4% |
| A4 Sport Ultra Tdi | Diesel | 3,720 | 4% |
| A4 S Line Tdi Cvt | Diesel | 3,704 | 4% |
| A4 S Line Tfsi S-A | Petrol | 3,675 | 4% |
| A4 S Line Tfsi | Petrol | 3,520 | 4% |
| A4 Se Tdi 6Sp | Diesel | 3,214 | 3% |
| A4 Sport Ultra Tdi S-A | Diesel | 3,105 | 3% |
| A4 S Line Tdi Quattro S-A | Diesel | 2,941 | 3% |
| A4 Avant Se Tdi | Diesel | 2,912 | 3% |
| A4 S Ln Blk Ed 40 Tfsi Mhev Sa | Petrol | 2,867 | 3% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95.1% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2020 | 90.9% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 89.9% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 88% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
23 earlier years
| 2017 | 86.2% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 83.7% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 82% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2014 | 80.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 80.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2012 | 78.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2011 | 77.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2010 | 75.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2009 | 75.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2008 | 72.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 72.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2006 | 71% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 69.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2004 | 68.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2003 | 67.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2002 | 68.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2001 | 68.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2000 | 73.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1999 | 73.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1998 | 71.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1997 | 69.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1996 | 74.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1995 | 60.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
Typical mileage
Half of all A4s tested had between 80,911 and 151,275 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 108,804 median miles, the A4 has 0.019 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Audi models
Common questions
What is the Audi A4 MOT pass rate?
The Audi A4 has a 79.1% MOT pass rate based on 409,974 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Audi A4?
The most common MOT failure on the Audi A4 is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 15,039 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Audi A4s are on UK roads?
There are 230,918 Audi A4s currently licensed on UK roads, with 38,731 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Audi A4 at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Audi A4 is 108,804 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 80,911 and 151,275 miles.
Buying a used A4?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 79.1% pass rate and an average repair bill of £131 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 30% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.