MOT fail rates by first-use year

2000 Audi A4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A4 cars first used in 2000 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2023, against all cars of the same age. From 2,555 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 23 years, tested in 2023

MOT fail rate at age 23 (n=1,157)39.8%

All cars at 23 years (n=619,531)39.6%

Difference+0.1 pts

MOT tests of 2000 cars, 2022 to 20232,555

What stands out

In 2023, at 23 years old, Audi A4 cars first used in 2000 failed 39.8% of MOTs (1,157 tests), about the same as the 39.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2023, as these cars went from 22 to 23 years old, the fail rate moved from 42.0% to 39.8%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A4 at 23 years, is driveshaft CV boot split, at 5.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A4 cars first used in 2000: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	22 years	42.0%	1,398	41.0%	+1.0 pts
2023	23 years	39.8%	1,157	39.6%	+0.1 pts

Most common faults at 23 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 23 years: cars first used 1999 to 2002, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,618). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Driveshaft CV boot split	5.4	2.7
Suspension ball joint worn	4.9	1.8
Suspension arm bush worn	3.7	1.5
Side/position light not working Wear	3.6	4.2
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.9	3.5
Coil spring broken	2.9	1.8
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	2.9	1.4
Airbag (SRS) warning light on	2.7	1.2
Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault	2.6	1.2
Brake light not working Wear	2.5	3.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,618). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	18.5	15.2
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.3	12.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	16.3	9.9
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	15.8	6.1
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	8.5	6.6
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.1	3.9
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	7.9	4.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	7.7	10.3
Coil spring: corroded	7.6	7.7
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	7.1	3.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,618). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 23 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 23 years: cars first used 1999 to 2002, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,618). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	56.4%	37.3%	2,603	39.1%	124,212 miles
Diesel	43.6%	42.3%	2,011	41.1%	178,877 miles

Car tax rules for a 2000 car

Cars first registered before 1 March 2001 are taxed by engine size: one annual rate for engines up to 1,549cc and a higher rate above that.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered before 2001 usually do not meet Euro 4, so they usually pay the ULEZ daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2000 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Audi A4

2001 Audi A4

Other Audi models first used in 2000

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Audi TT (2000)	25 years in 2025	38.2%	1,475	36.3%

More on the Audi A4

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2000 Audi A4 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.