The Audi A8 passes its MOT first time on 87.0% of tests, 18.6 points higher than a typical car of the same age and mileage (68.4%). That puts it ahead of 100% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2014 A8 does best (beats 100% of cars) and the 2005 worst (beats 98%).
Better than average on tyres, lights & electrics, brakes.
Watch these weak spots
Linkage pins and bushes3.1×as often as a typical car
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
Audi A8Typical car, same age & mileage
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
Engine
Years
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2005–2020
67,556
86.8%
Beats 100%
A
4.0 Petrol
2015–2016
3,237
90.5%
Beats 100%
A
4.1 Diesel
2010–2011
2,938
84.9%
Beats 100%
A
3.0 Petrol
2018–2018
1,259
93.2%
Beats 100%
A
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Exhaust: 1.5% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 3.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Tyres
4.5% vs 7.4%
Lights & electrics
3.3% vs 13.4%
Brakes
2.3% vs 7.7%
Visibility
2.0% vs 5.1%
Suspension
1.9% vs 10.2%
Emissions & leaks
1.5% vs 3.4%
Body & structure
0.8% vs 3.6%
Seat belts & airbags
0.5% vs 1.1%
Steering
0.2% vs 2.1%
Wheels
0.2% vs 0.5%
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
Tyre damage & cracking Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
Tyre tread depth Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.
Engine warning light The engine warning light should come on with the ignition and go out once the engine starts. If it stays on, get the fault codes read before you buy.
Windscreen washers Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
Brake pads Ask when the pads were last replaced and look for a brake-wear warning on the dash.
Headlight aim Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Audi A8Typical car
Most common MOT failures
Item
This car
Typical
vs typical
Tyre damage & cracking
2.7%
3.8%
0.7×
Tyre tread depth
1.7%
3.2%
0.5×
Engine warning light
1.3%
1.7%
0.8×
Windscreen washers
1.1%
2.4%
0.5×
Brake pads
1.1%
2.5%
0.4×
Headlight aim
0.9%
3.6%
0.2×
Windscreen wipers
0.7%
2.2%
0.3×
Sidelights
0.7%
3.4%
0.2×
Suspension arm bushes
0.6%
1.4%
0.5×
Headlight bulbs & units
0.6%
2.4%
0.2×
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
Defect
per 1,000
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
17.0
A tyre seriously damaged
14.7
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
13.6
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
13.3
A tyre cords visible or damaged
11.6
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
11.2
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
9.0
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6.6
Check another car
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2020 Audi A81 engine92.0% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
1,176
92.0%
Beats 99%
A
2019 Audi A81 engine92.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
3,041
92.9%
Beats 100%
A
2018 Audi A82 engines92.4% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
4,404
92.2%
Beats 100%
A
3.0 Petrol
1,259
93.2%
Beats 100%
A
2017 Audi A81 engine91.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
3,950
91.8%
Beats 100%
A
2016 Audi A82 engines91.4% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
4,986
91.3%
Beats 100%
A
4.0 Petrol
1,645
91.7%
Beats 100%
A
2015 Audi A82 engines90.5% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
6,566
90.8%
Beats 100%
A
4.0 Petrol
1,592
89.3%
Beats 99%
A
2014 Audi A81 engine91.1% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
6,669
91.1%
Beats 100%
A
2013 Audi A81 engine89.4% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
5,790
89.4%
Beats 100%
A
2012 Audi A81 engine88.1% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
5,722
88.1%
Beats 100%
A
2011 Audi A82 engines86.7% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
5,799
87.2%
Beats 100%
A
4.1 Diesel
1,175
84.7%
Beats 100%
A
2010 Audi A82 engines84.2% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2,580
83.6%
Beats 100%
A
4.1 Diesel
1,763
85.1%
Beats 100%
A
2009 Audi A81 engine80.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
3,029
80.9%
Beats 100%
A
2008 Audi A81 engine78.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
5,391
78.8%
Beats 99%
A
2007 Audi A81 engine74.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
4,138
74.8%
Beats 99%
A
2006 Audi A81 engine77.2% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2,072
77.2%
Beats 99%
A
2005 Audi A81 engine72.6% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
3.0 Diesel
2,243
72.6%
Beats 98%
A
FAQ
What is the Audi A8 MOT pass rate?
87.0% of MOT tests on the Audi A8 were passed first time, based on 74,990 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2005–2020. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 68.4% of the time.
Is the Audi A8 reliable?
On MOT results it rates A (excellent): it passes first time more often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 100% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Audi A8 year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2014 A8 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 100% of cars on UK roads. The 2005 does worst: it beats 98%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Audi A8?
The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, tyre tread depth, engine warning light. Compared with similar cars, linkage pins and bushes comes up 3.1× as often.
How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.