Audi S4 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 46,105 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 25.6%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Audi S4 MOT Reliability Overview
The Audi S4 is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 46,105 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 19 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 74.4% and a failure rate of 25.6%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Audi S4 earns a "Very Good" reliability rating. The average Audi S4 presents for MOT with approximately 79,258 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2017 models achieve the highest pass rate at 92.9%, while 2002 models have the lowest at 46.7%. This 46.2 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Audi S4 is Suspension, affecting 19.2% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment at 15.2%. Tyres rounds out the top three at 15.1%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 11 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Audi S4 vintages degrade over time, from age 3 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Audi S4. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Audi S4 ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 17% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 16 (37.3% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 22.9% | 10,565 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 20.0% | 9,244 |
| 3 | Tyres | 18.3% | 8,454 |
| 4 | Brakes | 14.2% | 6,542 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 4.7% | 2,183 |
| 6 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 4.3% | 1,993 |
| 7 | Steering | 2.1% | 972 |
| 8 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.8% | 831 |
| 9 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 1.4% | 635 |
| 10 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 1.2% | 574 |
| 11 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.8% | 383 |
| 12 | Road Wheels | 0.8% | 369 |
| 13 | Non-component Advisories | 0.7% | 329 |
| 14 | Visibility | 0.6% | 276 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 79,258 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 2.89 | 22.9% | 10,565 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 2.53 | 20.0% | 9,244 |
| Tyres | 2.31 | 18.3% | 8,454 |
| Brakes | 1.79 | 14.2% | 6,542 |
| Visibility | 0.68 | 5.3% | 2,459 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.55 | 4.3% | 1,993 |
| Steering | 0.27 | 2.1% | 972 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.23 | 1.8% | 831 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.17 | 1.4% | 635 |
| Seat Belts | 0.16 | 1.2% | 574 |
| Body & Structure | 0.10 | 0.8% | 383 |
| Wheels | 0.10 | 0.8% | 369 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.09 | 0.7% | 329 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Audi S4 has 79,258 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Audi S4 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.23% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Audi S4 MOT Data
The Audi S4 is a relatively common sight on UK roads, with 46,105 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 19 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 74.4% and a failure rate of 25.6%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Audi S4 owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific S4 is likely to perform.
Suspension — 19.2% of failures
Suspension issues account for 19.2% of MOT failures on the Audi S4. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 15.2% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 15.2% of MOT failures on the Audi S4. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Tyres — 15.1% of failures
Tyres issues account for 15.1% of MOT failures on the Audi S4. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi S4?
Based on 46,105 MOT tests in our database, the Audi S4 has an overall pass rate of 74.4% (25.6% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Audi S4?
The top 3 reasons a Audi S4 fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (19.2%), 2. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (15.2%), 3. Tyres (15.1%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Audi S4 reliable?
With a 25.6% MOT failure rate, the S4 is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Audi S4?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (19.2%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (15.2%); Tyres (15.1%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.