How reliable is the Audi 80 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Audi 80, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 64.2% across 759 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Audi 80?

The most common advisory is "A wheel bearing with excessive play", noted on 17.3% of all Audi 80 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi 80 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 132,563 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Audi 80 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi 80 cars tested, 79% are petrol, 20% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi 80 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 759 recorded MOT tests of the Audi 80, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 759 MOT tests, 64.2% of Audi 80 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Audi 80 fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 15.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 132,563 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

64.2%unadjusted, not comparable759 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the 80. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 759 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi 80 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc15.2%
35 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement14.3%
33 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.2%
28 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.Exhaust system leaking or insecure11.7%
27 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
5.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.0%
23 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
6.A wheel bearing with excessive play9.6%
22 occurrencesWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.6%
22 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.1%
21 occurrencesLamp not working explained
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen8.7%
20 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements7.8%
18 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi 80 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.A wheel bearing with excessive play17.3%
131 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
2.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users16.0%
121 tests
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured15.4%
117 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.9%
113 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements12.9%
98 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged12.8%
97 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded11.3%
86 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded9.5%
72 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

What gets tested

The 80 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 132,563
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol79.2%
Diesel20.4%

Check a specific Audi 80

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Audi models

Audi A3 — 77.8% adjusted
Audi A4 — 77.8% adjusted
Audi A1 — 73.7% adjusted
Audi Q3 — 81.5% adjusted
Audi A5 — 79.1% adjusted
Audi A6 — 82.4% adjusted
All Audi models

Common questions

How reliable is the Audi 80 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Audi 80, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 64.2% across 759 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi 80?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 15.2% of failed Audi 80 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Audi 80?: The most common advisory is "A wheel bearing with excessive play", noted on 17.3% of all Audi 80 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi 80 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 132,563 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Audi 80 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi 80 cars tested, 79% are petrol, 20% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.