MOT fail rates by first-use year

2013 Audi A4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A4 cars first used in 2013 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 65,008 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 12 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 12 (n=15,633)27.4%

All cars at 12 years (n=7,303,151)36.0%

Difference−8.6 pts

MOT tests of 2013 cars, 2022 to 202565,008

What stands out

In 2025, at 12 years old, Audi A4 cars first used in 2013 failed 27.4% of MOTs (15,633 tests), 8.6 points below the 36.0% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 9 to 12 years old, the fail rate moved from 23.5% to 27.4%.
Audi A4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2012, failed 28.6% at the same age of 12 years (13,526 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A4 at 12 years, is coil spring broken, at 3.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A4 cars first used in 2013: 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	9 years	23.5%	16,777	27.1%	−3.7 pts
2023	10 years	25.7%	16,473	30.3%	−4.6 pts
2024	11 years	26.9%	16,125	33.3%	−6.4 pts
2025	12 years	27.4%	15,633	36.0%	−8.6 pts

Most common faults at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,817). 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
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.4	2.9
Coil spring broken	3.1	3.9
Driveshaft CV boot split	3.0	1.8
Suspension arm bush worn	2.7	1.8
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	2.5	1.5
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.0	2.1
Shock absorber leaking	1.8	1.3
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	1.8	1.5
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	1.8	2.0
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	1.8	1.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=57,817). 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	20.0	18.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	15.2	7.3
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.9	7.6
Shock absorber misting oil	8.1	3.8
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	7.9	10.4
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.2	8.9
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	3.8	3.0
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	3.8	2.7
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	3.0	2.8
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	2.9	2.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=57,817). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,817). 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	84.6%	29.8%	48,910	36.9%	123,144 miles
Petrol	15.4%	23.2%	8,904	35.3%	87,964 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,817). At 12 years, Audi A4 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (32.4%, n=12,368) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (16.8%, n=2,631). 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	16.8%	2,631	27.7%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	24.0%	9,880	36.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	28.9%	17,230	40.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	31.6%	15,070	41.2%
Over 150,000 miles	32.4%	12,368	41.3%

Car tax rules for a 2013 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 2013 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

2012 Audi A4 2014 Audi A4

Other Audi models first used in 2013

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Audi A3 (2013)	12 years in 2025	26.6%	27,095	36.0%
Audi A1 (2013)	12 years in 2025	32.8%	22,252	36.0%
Audi Q3 (2013)	12 years in 2025	29.3%	11,563	36.0%
Audi A5 (2013)	12 years in 2025	26.1%	10,425	36.0%
Audi A6 (2013)	12 years in 2025	20.7%	10,055	36.0%
Audi TT (2013)	12 years in 2025	17.9%	6,337	36.0%
Audi Q5 (2013)	12 years in 2025	22.8%	6,037	36.0%
Audi Q7 (2013)	12 years in 2025	18.3%	3,099	36.0%

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 2013 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.