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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2013 Audi A7 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A7 cars first used in 2013 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 7,725 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 12 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 12 (n=1,835)18.0%
All cars at 12 years (n=7,303,151)36.0%
Difference−18.0 pts
MOT tests of 2013 cars, 2022 to 20257,725

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 12 years old, Audi A7 cars first used in 2013 failed 18.0% of MOTs (1,835 tests), 18.0 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 18.3% to 18.0%.
  • Audi A7 cars first used a year earlier, in 2012, failed 17.9% at the same age of 12 years (1,273 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A7 at 12 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 2.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.8).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A7 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 yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20229 years18.3%2,00627.1%−8.8 pts
202310 years19.5%1,99330.3%−10.8 pts
202411 years18.2%1,89133.3%−15.0 pts
202512 years18.0%1,83536.0%−18.0 pts

Most common faults at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A7 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,935). 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 itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear3.22.9
Suspension arm bush worn2.21.8
Coil spring broken2.03.9
Tyre with cords exposed Wear2.01.7
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear1.41.2
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear1.02.1
Wipers not clearing screen Wear1.02.0
Headlamp aim: too low Wear1.01.5
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear1.01.8
Dipped headlight not working Wear0.92.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,935). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear18.418.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement10.77.3
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.27.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive6.56.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened6.210.4
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear3.58.9
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view3.42.7
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear3.12.4
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively3.02.5
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened2.93.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,935). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A7 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,935). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel94.5%18.6%4,66536.9%112,690 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 12 years

These figures cover all Audi A7 MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,935). At 12 years, Audi A7 cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (19.7%, n=1,290) than those at 90,000 to 120,000 miles (18.6%, n=1,762). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
90,000 to 120,000 miles18.6%1,76240.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles19.7%1,29041.2%

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 A7

Other Audi models first used in 2013

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Audi A3 (2013)12 years in 202526.6%27,09536.0%
Audi A1 (2013)12 years in 202532.8%22,25236.0%
Audi A4 (2013)12 years in 202527.4%15,63336.0%
Audi Q3 (2013)12 years in 202529.3%11,56336.0%
Audi A5 (2013)12 years in 202526.1%10,42536.0%
Audi A6 (2013)12 years in 202520.7%10,05536.0%
Audi TT (2013)12 years in 202517.9%6,33736.0%
Audi Q5 (2013)12 years in 202522.8%6,03736.0%

More on the Audi A7

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 A7 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.