Is the Audi A6 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Audi A6 is well above average. It passes 82.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 34 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 A6?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.6% of failed Audi A6 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 A6?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all Audi A6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi A6 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 107,719 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 A6 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Audi A6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 66.6%. 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 A6 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi A6 cars tested, 87% are diesel, 12% are petrol, 2% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi A6 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 122,772 recorded MOT tests of the Audi A6, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Audi A6 passes 82.4% 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 34 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 122,772 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 20.6% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 107,719 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

82.4%national average72.3%unadjusted79.7%range covered99%rank34 of 262

The A6 is 10.1 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well above average. The unadjusted figure is 79.7%; 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 A6 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 requirements20.6%
4,220 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.3%
2,925 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened11.0%
2,260 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged10.9%
2,235 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged10.7%
2,198 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.5%
1,944 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.3%
1,489 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.3%
1,485 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.7%
1,376 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.5%
1,135 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi A6 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%
33,447 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn16.4%
20,119 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.9%
10,886 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured8.9%
10,880 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged5.3%
6,512 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.0%
4,896 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.8%
4,699 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded3.7%
4,561 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs91%

6–8 yrs86%

9–11 yrs82%

12–14 yrs77%

15+ yrs67%

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

What gets tested

The A6 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 107,719
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel86.8%
Petrol11.7%
Hybrid1.5%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

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

A6 2.0 TFSI MU
A6 2.8 QUATTRO AUTO
A6 40 TDI
A6 40 TDI S-LINE
A6 ALLROAD
A6 ALLROAD AVANT QUATTRO
A6 ALLROAD QUATTRO
A6 ALLROAD TDI QUATTRO
A6 AROAD SPORT 55TFSI MHEV Q A
A6 AROAD SPT 45TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 AROAD SPT 50TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 AROAD VOR 45TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 AROAD VOR 50TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 AROAD VOR 55TFSI MHEV QTO A
A6 AVANT
A6 COMP 55 TFSI E QUAT SA
A6 COMP VSPRUNG 55TFSI E QT SA
A6 HYBRID
A6 S LINE 40 TDI MHEV QUAT S-A
A6 S LINE 40 TDI MHEV S-A
A6 S LINE 40 TDI QUATTRO S-A
A6 S LINE 40 TFSI MHEV S-A
A6 S LINE 45 TFSI MHEV QUAT SA
A6 S LINE 50 TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 S LINE 50 TFSI E QUATTRO SA
A6 S LINE BLACK ED 40 TDI SA
A6 S LINE TDI MHEV QUATTRO S-A
A6 S LINE VOR 40 TDI MHEV SA
A6 S LINE VOR 40 TFSI MHEV SA
A6 S LN BLCK ED 40 TDI MHEV SA
A6 S LN BLK ED 40 TFSI MHEV SA
A6 S LN BLK ED 40TDI MHEV Q SA
A6 S LN BLK ED 45 TFSI QUAT SA
A6 S LN BLK ED 50 TDI MHEV Q A
A6 S LN BLK ED45TFSI MHEV Q SA
A6 S LN V-SPRNG 50 TDI QUAT SA
A6 S LN VOR 40TDI MHEV QUAT SA
A6 S LN VOR 50 TDI MHEV QUAT A
A6 S LN VOR 55TFSI MHEV QTO SA
A6 S LNE BLK ED 40 TDI QUAT SA

Check a specific Audi A6

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 Q5 — 81.6% adjusted
All Audi models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Kia Ceed — 68.9% adjusted, ranked 182
Ford Ranger — 70.5% adjusted, ranked 166
Land Rover Range Rover Sport — 81.1% adjusted, ranked 47
Citroen C4 — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 231

Common questions

Is the Audi A6 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Audi A6 is well above average. It passes 82.4% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 34 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 A6?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.6% of failed Audi A6 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 A6?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 27.2% of all Audi A6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi A6 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 107,719 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 A6 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 90.7% of Audi A6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 66.6%. 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 A6 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi A6 cars tested, 87% are diesel, 12% are petrol, 2% are hybrid. 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.