MOT performance
Audi A4 petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 173,136 MOT tests on petrol Audi A4s in 2023–2024 (on average 10.2 years old at test, median 66,626 miles), 77.1% passed first time, against 70.6% of 354,289 diesel Audi A4 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Audi A4s failed 25% less often than comparable cars — 0.75× against 0.81× for the Audi A4 as a whole.
173,136 MOT tests on 91,513 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 77.1% | ±0.2 pts (95%), n = 173,136 |
| All Audi A4s | 72.8% | n = 527,452 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 0.75× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Audi A4 overall 0.81× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 7.0% | n = 173,136 |
| Average age at test | 10.2 years | n = 173,136 |
| Registration years covered | 1992–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Petrol against the other Audi A4 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel).
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 354,289 | 11.1 yrs | 70.6% | -17% | 9.0% |
| Petrol | 173,136 | 10.2 yrs | 77.1% | -25% | 7.0% |
Where petrol Audi A4s differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: petrol Audi A4s failed 20% less often than the Audi A4 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.67× vs 0.84×).
| Area | Petrol (vs similar) | All Audi A4s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 7.2% (+7%) | 7.8% (+6%) |
| Suspension | 6.9% (-28%) | 9.0% (-24%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 6.8% (-47%) | 8.8% (-38%) |
| Brakes | 4.2% (-44%) | 5.4% (-40%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.0% (-33%) | 3.4% (-16%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 3.0% (-28%) | 4.1% (-17%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 2.6% (-51%) | 3.2% (-40%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.0% (-19%) | 1.1% (-26%) |
| Steering | 0.9% (-57%) | 1.3% (-53%) |
| Road wheels | 0.4% (+12%) | 0.5% (-6%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.4% (-6%) | 0.4% (-4%) |
Most common petrol Audi A4 failure items
1 of these 5 items is not among the Audi A4's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 2.87% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 2.79% |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 1.87% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Noise, emissions and leaks | 1.68% |
| Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.65% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | petrol pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 87.5% (27,484) | 87.1% (17,085) |
| 5-6 | 84.1% (36,516) | 81.0% (34,136) |
| 7-8 | 82.6% (18,267) | 76.5% (56,778) |
| 9-10 | 80.6% (9,487) | 73.2% (55,514) |
| 11-12 | 76.5% (8,545) | 70.0% (47,590) |
| 13-15 | 69.6% (18,067) | 64.6% (69,529) |
| 16+ | 64.2% (47,512) | 59.5% (67,677) |
Audi A4 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2000 Audi A4 · 62.2%
- 2001 Audi A4 · 60.6%
- 2002 Audi A4 · 58.7%
- 2003 Audi A4 · 59.3%
- 2004 Audi A4 · 59.6%
- 2005 Audi A4 · 61.1%
- 2006 Audi A4 · 61.9%
- 2007 Audi A4 · 62.7%
- 2008 Audi A4 · 63.4%
- 2009 Audi A4 · 65.9%
- 2010 Audi A4 · 67.9%
- 2011 Audi A4 · 70.2%
- 2012 Audi A4 · 72.4%
- 2013 Audi A4 · 73.7%
- 2014 Audi A4 · 74.6%
- 2015 Audi A4 · 76.5%
- 2016 Audi A4 · 79.2%
- 2017 Audi A4 · 82.1%
- 2018 Audi A4 · 84.4%
- 2019 Audi A4 · 86.7%
- 2020 Audi A4 · 88.5%
- 2021 Audi A4 · 87.8%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific petrol Audi A4
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.