2025 MOT results
Audi A2 common problems
The most common reason a Audi A2 fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 12.4% of its 2,512 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a broken coil spring at 12.4% of failures against 5.7% expected; a split joint boot at 5.1% of failures against 2.5% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 6.3% of failures against 3.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 5,762 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 43.6% 2,512 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Audi A2 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Audi A2 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.6% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 9.8% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.4% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 8.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle Brakes | 6.3% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 6.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 5.1% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
12.4% of failures 5.7% expected 2.2 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
11.6% of failures 9.1% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Weak handbrake
9.8% of failures 6.7% expected 1.5 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Engine management light on
9.4% of failures 6.7% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Split joint boot
8.4% of failures 6.8% expected somewhat more often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Brake light out
7.4% of failures 9.3% expected somewhat less often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Audi A2, on 43.6% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 35.1% against 29.7% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 43.6% |
| Suspension | 41.0% |
| Brakes | 35.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 19.8% |
| Tyres | 15.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15.0% |
| Visibility | 14.6% |
| Steering | 11.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.0% of Audi A2 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Audi A2s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 16.5% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 15.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.9% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 9.6% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 9.4% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.7% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 6.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.1% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 5.0% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.8% |
| Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Audi A2 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Audi A2?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 12.4% of failed Audi A2 tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 43.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Audi A2 fail its MOT?
43.6% of Audi A2 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 5,762 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 47 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Audi A2 than on other cars?
Yes. “Coil spring: fractured or broken” appears on 12.4% of its failures against 5.7% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 5.1% of its failures against 2.5% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Audi A2 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 5,762 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.