2025 MOT results
Audi A4 common problems
The most common reason a Audi A4 fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 15.7% of its 65,679 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a split joint boot at 11.3% of failures against 4.9% expected; a broken coil spring at 15.7% of failures against 9.0% expected; worn suspension bushes at 8.0% of failures against 4.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 243,166 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 27.0% 65,679 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 54.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Audi A4 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Audi A4 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 | 15.7% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 11.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.2% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.5% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 8.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.4% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 5.4% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.0% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Broken coil spring
15.7% of failures 9.0% expected 1.7 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.
-
Split joint boot
11.3% of failures 4.9% expected 2.3 times as 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.2% of failures 7.9% expected somewhat more often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Engine management light on
8.5% of failures 5.5% expected 1.5 times as 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.
-
Worn suspension bushes
8.0% of failures 4.7% expected 1.7 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
6.4% of failures 4.8% expected somewhat more often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Audi A4, on 37.1% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 27.9% against 22.2% 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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 37.1% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.8% |
| Tyres | 27.9% |
| Brakes | 17.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 16.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.0% |
| Visibility | 11.5% |
| Steering | 4.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
54.6% of Audi A4 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Audi A4s, 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 |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 14.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.1% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.9% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.9% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.8% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.2% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 2.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.8% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Audi A4 gets older
A 2022 Audi A4 failed 12.4% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2003 one failed 38.9%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Audi A4 12.4% failed, from 6,635 tests
- Tyre worn through to the cords 22.6%
- Cut tyre 20.7%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 13.9%
- Headlamp aim set too high 10.7%
- Leaking damper 8.5%
- Engine management light on 5.4%
2003 Audi A4 38.9% failed, from 2,805 tests
- Worn suspension bushes 12.9%
- Lighting fault 11.6%
- Sidelight out 8.9%
- Brake light out 8.5%
- Worn steering or suspension joint 8.2%
- Corroded brake pipes 7.1%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Audi A4 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Audi A4?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 15.7% of failed Audi A4 tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 37.1% of failed tests.
How often does a Audi A4 fail its MOT?
27.0% of Audi A4 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 243,166 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 57 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Audi A4 than on other cars?
Yes. “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 11.3% of its failures against 4.9% for cars of the same age, and “Coil spring: fractured or broken” appears on 15.7% of its failures against 9.0% 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 A4 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 | 243,166 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.