Common problems
Audi Q8 common problems
What MOT testers find on the Audi Q8: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 14,619 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 3 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- No part area of the Audi Q8 fails more than 1 point per 100 MOTs above all cars at 3 years old (n=4,847; all cars n=8,016,463).
- Lights and electrics fails are less common: 0.9 per 100 MOTs against 2.9 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 3 years: tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords, on 2.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars 1.8).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge, on 13.7 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 3 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 5.3 | 4.8 | 18.2 | 18.1 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.1 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| Number plates and VIN | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
| Lights and electrics | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.2 | 0.7 |
| Brakes | 0.7 | 1.7 | 10.5 | 8.8 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.2 | 0.3 | under 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Body and structure | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.3 |
| Suspension | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| Road wheels | 0.1 | 0.1 | under 0.1 | 0.4 |
What testers fail most on the Q8 at 3 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 2.5 | 1.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tyre tread below 1.6 mm | Tyres | 1.8 | 1.3 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tyre with cords exposed | Tyres | 1.0 | 1.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements | Number plates and VIN | 0.8 | 0.2 | £23 to £63 per plate (rough guide) |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 0.5 | 1.9 | £15 to £30 per blade |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 3 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 13.7 | 11.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 6.4 | 3.9 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Nail in tyre | Other | 4.6 | 2.3 | |
| Brake pads: wearing thin | Brakes | 4.4 | 4.8 | £72 to £174 per axle (rough guide) |
| Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt | Other | 2.6 | 2.1 | |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 2.4 | 1.8 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 1.9 | 2.0 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 1.4 | 1.5 | |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively | Brakes | 1.0 | 1.1 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Items removed from driver's view prior to test | Other | 0.8 | 0.7 |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Tyres | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | Number plates and VIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 4,847 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 |
| 4 years | 4,274 | 4.7 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| 5 years | 3,188 | 4.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 |
| 6 years | 2,310 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 0.7 |
Mileage
At 3 years, Audi Q8 cars showing under 30,000 miles failed 7.3% of MOTs (n=2,645); the band that failed most, 30,000 to 60,000 miles, failed 10.5% (n=2,015). For pass and fail rates by age, see MOT fail rates by model.
What to check on a viewing
On the Audi Q8, testers most often record tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords; tyre tread below 1.6 mm; tyre with cords exposed. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Tyres
- Check the tread across the full width of all four tyres, and the spare if there is one.
- Look for cuts, bulges and cracking in the sidewalls.
- Wear on one edge only can point to worn suspension or the tracking being out.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
- Look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.
- Run the wipers and washers: they should clear the screen without smearing.
- Check that the mirrors are present, secure and not cracked.
Number plates and VIN
- Check that the number plates are legal, readable and match the documents.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the Audi Q8?
At 3 years, the age with the most MOT tests (4,847), the fail items testers record most often on the Audi Q8 are tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (2.5 per 100 MOTs), tyre tread below 1.6 mm (1.8 per 100 MOTs), tyre with cords exposed (1.0 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (13.7) and brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (6.4).
Which parts of the Audi Q8 fail more often than on other cars?
None by more than 1 point per 100 MOTs at 3 years, compared with 8,016,463 MOTs of all cars the same age.
Audi Q8 problems by area
More on the Audi Q8
Other Audi models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a Audi Q8?
These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.
See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record
Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
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