MOT fail rates by first-use year

2010 Audi A4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A4 cars first used in 2010 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 53,417 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 15 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 15 (n=12,136)33.9%

All cars at 15 years (n=5,591,675)41.6%

Difference−7.7 pts

MOT tests of 2010 cars, 2022 to 202553,417

What stands out

In 2025, at 15 years old, Audi A4 cars first used in 2010 failed 33.9% of MOTs (12,136 tests), 7.7 points below the 41.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 12 to 15 years old, the fail rate moved from 30.1% to 33.9%.
Audi A4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2009, failed 34.1% at the same age of 15 years (12,905 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A4 at 15 years, is coil spring broken, at 5.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A4 cars first used in 2010: 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	12 years	30.1%	14,264	36.0%	−5.9 pts
2023	13 years	31.8%	13,968	38.3%	−6.4 pts
2024	14 years	32.3%	13,049	40.3%	−7.9 pts
2025	15 years	33.9%	12,136	41.6%	−7.7 pts

Most common faults at 15 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=62,585). 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
Coil spring broken	5.6	4.1
Driveshaft CV boot split	5.3	2.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.5	3.1
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	3.0	2.5
Suspension arm bush worn	2.4	2.1
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault	2.2	0.7
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	2.2	1.7
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.9	2.0
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	1.9	1.8
Side/position light not working Wear	1.9	5.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=62,585). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	20.5	18.4
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	17.6	8.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	10.9	11.1
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	7.7	6.9
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	7.2	9.8
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	6.2	3.0
Shock absorber misting oil	5.9	4.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.8	9.4
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	5.7	5.0
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	5.2	5.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=62,585). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 15 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=62,585). 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
Diesel	77.0%	36.3%	48,172	42.0%	141,317 miles
Petrol	23.0%	32.5%	14,409	41.5%	106,260 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 15 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=62,585). At 15 years, Audi A4 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (38.7%, n=21,440) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (21.6%, n=1,675). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	21.6%	1,675	31.4%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	28.8%	6,577	40.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	34.6%	14,445	45.1%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	36.9%	17,707	45.9%
Over 150,000 miles	38.7%	21,440	45.3%

Car tax rules for a 2010 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

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

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2010 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

2009 Audi A4 2011 Audi A4

Other Audi models first used in 2010

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Audi A3 (2010)	15 years in 2025	37.5%	23,181	41.6%
Audi A5 (2010)	15 years in 2025	30.4%	9,465	41.6%
Audi A6 (2010)	15 years in 2025	30.4%	6,196	41.6%
Audi TT (2010)	15 years in 2025	28.5%	6,304	41.6%
Audi Q5 (2010)	15 years in 2025	31.0%	3,467	41.6%
Audi Q7 (2010)	15 years in 2025	22.6%	1,352	41.6%
Audi A1 (2010)	15 years in 2025	34.7%	1,353	41.6%

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 2010 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.