MOT fail rates by first-use year

2016 Audi A4 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A4 cars first used in 2016 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 89,383 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 9 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 9 (n=21,793)21.4%

All cars at 9 years (n=9,949,012)27.1%

Difference−5.8 pts

MOT tests of 2016 cars, 2022 to 202589,383

What stands out

In 2025, at 9 years old, Audi A4 cars first used in 2016 failed 21.4% of MOTs (21,793 tests), 5.8 points below the 27.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 6 to 9 years old, the fail rate moved from 16.6% to 21.4%.
Audi A4 cars first used a year earlier, in 2015, failed 24.3% at the same age of 9 years (16,504 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A4 at 9 years, is coil spring broken, at 3.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A4 cars first used in 2016: 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	6 years	16.6%	22,855	17.8%	−1.2 pts
2023	7 years	20.1%	22,503	20.6%	−0.6 pts
2024	8 years	21.4%	22,232	23.8%	−2.3 pts
2025	9 years	21.4%	21,793	27.1%	−5.8 pts

Most common faults at 9 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=72,332). 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	3.3	2.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.3	2.5
Driveshaft CV boot split	1.8	1.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.8	2.0
Shock absorber leaking	1.7	0.7
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	1.6	1.3
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	1.5	0.8
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.5	1.3
Suspension arm bush worn	1.3	1.1
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	1.2	1.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=72,332). 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	18.2	16.4
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	10.1	4.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.5	8.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	6.5	9.2
Shock absorber misting oil	5.8	3.1
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	4.7	8.5
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	3.0	2.7
Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt	2.9	2.3
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	2.7	2.2
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	2.4	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=72,332). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 9 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=72,332). 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	80.9%	24.7%	58,505	28.3%	93,908 miles
Petrol	19.1%	17.5%	13,827	26.3%	68,411 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 9 years

These figures cover all Audi A4 MOTs at 9 years: cars first used 2013 to 2016, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=72,332). At 9 years, Audi A4 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (29.1%, n=4,861) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (15.5%, n=10,494). 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	15.5%	10,494	23.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	22.4%	25,750	29.4%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	25.8%	20,693	32.8%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	28.0%	9,358	34.1%
Over 150,000 miles	29.1%	4,861	33.8%

Car tax rules for a 2016 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 from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
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

2015 Audi A4 2017 Audi A4

Other Audi models first used in 2016

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Audi A3 (2016)	9 years in 2025	17.1%	38,838	27.1%
Audi A1 (2016)	9 years in 2025	25.8%	25,500	27.1%
Audi Q3 (2016)	9 years in 2025	20.2%	16,354	27.1%
Audi A6 (2016)	9 years in 2025	16.5%	12,988	27.1%
Audi Q5 (2016)	9 years in 2025	17.2%	11,211	27.1%
Audi TT (2016)	9 years in 2025	12.5%	9,202	27.1%
Audi A5 (2016)	9 years in 2025	21.2%	8,300	27.1%
Audi Q7 (2016)	9 years in 2025	18.3%	4,776	27.1%

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 2016 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.