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Audi A5 seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 44,668 MOT tests · Updated

At 7 years, 0.3 in 100 MOT tests of the Audi A5 failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 44,668 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.5–0.8×) (all test years), 123 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 16 ages from 3 to 18 years, 501,056 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Airbag (SRS) warning light on, 0.2 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.3 fails per 100 MOT tests at 7 years, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 7 (all test years). The Audi A5 fails less often here.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Audi A5 seat belts and airbags fails by age

Audi A5 seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Audi A5. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.01233 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 25,388 MOT tests34 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 32,345 MOT tests5 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 40,955 MOT tests56 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 44,331 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 44,668 MOT tests78 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 43,769 MOT tests9 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 40,680 MOT tests910 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 41,822 MOT tests11 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.9), 41,122 MOT tests1112 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 40,957 MOT tests13 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 36,126 MOT tests1314 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 1.5), 30,653 MOT tests15 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 21,395 MOT tests1516 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 10,841 MOT tests17 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 4,836 MOT tests1718 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 2.7), 1,168 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Audi A5 All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
325,3880.60.3
432,3450.30.3
540,9550.20.3
644,3310.30.4
744,6680.30.4
843,7690.30.5
940,6800.30.6
1041,8220.40.7
1141,1220.50.9
1240,9570.61.0
1336,1260.71.2
1430,6531.01.5
1521,3950.91.7
1610,8411.32.1
174,8361.42.5
181,1681.72.7

All first-use years of the Audi A5 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the seat belts and airbags at 7 years

Fails

  • Airbag (SRS) warning light on: 0.2 fails per 100 MOT tests, all class 4 vehicles 0.2. Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning: estimated £39–£317 (0.5–1.5 h at £78/h (ONS local-garage repair quotes, 1,058 quotes from 65 garages, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) + parts £0–£200) Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicates a fault MOT fail

Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 0.3 per 100 at 7 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 22,580 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.4 per 100 at 7 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 8,528 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Check one Audi A5, not the average

The figures here describe Audi A5 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Audi A5 problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Audi A5 have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

0.5 to 0.8 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 7 years (all test years), from 44,668 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 10 of the 16 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Audi A5 seat belts and airbags problems?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 7 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 0.4 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 44,668 MOT tests).

What is the most common Audi A5 seat belts and airbags fail?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 7 years: Airbag (SRS) warning light on (75 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 501,056 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare