Is the Audi A5 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Audi A5 is well above average. It passes 79.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 61 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A5?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.9% of failed Audi A5 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 A5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all Audi A5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi A5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,821 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.

Does a Audi A5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.9% of Audi A5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 69.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Audi A5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi A5 cars tested, 57% are diesel, 43% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi A5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 126,367 recorded MOT tests of the Audi A5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Audi A5 passes 79.1% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well above average, ranking it 61 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 126,367 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 20.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 86,821 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

79.1%national average72.3%unadjusted77.5%range covered99%rank61 of 262

The A5 is 6.8 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 77.5%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi A5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.9%
5,126 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened18.5%
4,526 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.0%
3,435 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged13.4%
3,293 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged11.2%
2,733 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.1%
2,476 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.9%
2,188 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage8.1%
1,983 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.7%
1,647 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged5.8%
1,429 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi A5 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements27.2%
34,385 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn20.2%
25,552 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.8%
13,682 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured8.6%
10,810 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.4%
9,357 testsShock absorber defective explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged7.2%
9,094 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.9%
4,966 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.9%
4,890 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs88%

6–8 yrs82%

9–11 yrs78%

12–14 yrs72%

15+ yrs69%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The A5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 86,821
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel57.0%
Petrol43.0%

Trim names grouped into this model (39)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

A5 40 TDI S-LINE
A5 CABRIOLET
A5 EDITION 1 TDI MHEV S-A
A5 QUATTRO
A5 QUATTRO S-LINE TDI
A5 QUATTRO TDI
A5 S LINE 35 TDI MHEV S-A
A5 S LINE 35 TFSI MHEV S-A
A5 S LINE 40 TDI MHEV QUAT SA
A5 S LINE 40 TFSI MHEV S-A
A5 S LINE 45 TFSI MHEV QUAT SA
A5 S LINE ED 1 35 TDI MHEV SA
A5 S LINE ED 1 35 TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LINE ED 1 40 TDI QUAT S-A
A5 S LINE ED 1 40 TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LINE TFSI S-A
A5 S LN BLCK ED 35 TDI MHEV SA
A5 S LN BLK ED 35 TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LN BLK ED 40 TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LN BLK ED 40TDI MHEV Q SA
A5 S LN ED 1 45 TFSI MHEV Q SA
A5 S LN VOR 40TDI MHEV QUAT SA
A5 S LN VOR 45 TFSI MHEV Q SA
A5 S LN VSPRNG 40 TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LN VSPRUNG 35 TDI MHEV SA
A5 S LN VSPRUNG 35TFSI MHEV SA
A5 S LNE ED 1 40TDI MHEV Q SA
A5 SLN BLK ED 45TFSI MHEV Q SA
A5 SPORT 35 TDI MHEV S-A
A5 SPORT 35 TFSI MHEV S-A
A5 SPORT 40 TDI MHEV QUAT SA
A5 SPORT 40 TFSI MHEV S-A
A5 SPORT TDI QUATTRO
A5 TDI
A5 TDI QUATTRO
A5 TDI S LINE
A5 TFSI
A5 TFSI S-LINE
A5 TFSI S-LINE QUATTRO

Check a specific Audi A5

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 A6 — 82.4% adjusted
Audi Q5 — 81.6% adjusted
All Audi models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Peugeot 308 — 67.5% adjusted, ranked 202
Toyota Corolla — 78.8% adjusted, ranked 64
Volkswagen UP — 76.8% adjusted, ranked 88
Mazda 2 — 69.8% adjusted, ranked 173

Common questions

Is the Audi A5 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Audi A5 is well above average. It passes 79.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 61 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A5?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.9% of failed Audi A5 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 A5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all Audi A5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi A5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,821 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.
Does a Audi A5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.9% of Audi A5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 69.4%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Audi A5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi A5 cars tested, 57% are diesel, 43% are petrol. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.