2025 MOT results
Audi A8 common problems
The most common reason a Audi A8 fails its MOT is the engine management light on, on 11.8% of its 1,421 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: the engine management light on at 11.8% of failures against 5.5% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 9.7% of failures against 4.7% expected; a cut tyre at 7.2% of failures against 4.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 10,977 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 12.9% 1,421 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 4.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 38.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Audi A8 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Audi A8 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 |
|---|---|
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.8% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 9.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 7.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 7.2% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.2% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 5.6% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.3% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 4.1% |
| Washers: not working Visibility | 3.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Engine management light on
11.8% of failures 5.5% expected 2.1 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.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
9.7% of failures 4.7% expected 2.1 times as 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.4% 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.
-
Worn suspension bushes
7.2% of failures 4.7% expected 1.5 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.
-
Cut tyre
7.2% of failures 4.6% expected 1.6 times as often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Washers that do not work
6.9% of failures 5.0% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Audi A8, on 31.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 21.9%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 31.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 25.1% |
| Suspension | 20.8% |
| Brakes | 18.0% |
| Visibility | 17.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 15.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
38.3% of Audi A8 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Audi A8s, 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 | 14.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 8.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.9% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 4.9% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 3.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.5% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.9% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.5% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.3% |
| Linkage pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Audi A8 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Audi A8?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” is the most common: it appears on 11.8% of failed Audi A8 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 31.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Audi A8 fail its MOT?
12.9% of Audi A8 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 10,977 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 79 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Audi A8 than on other cars?
Yes. “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” appears on 11.8% of its failures against 5.5% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” appears on 9.7% of its failures against 4.7% 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 A8 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 | 10,977 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.