How reliable is the Audi Q8 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Audi Q8, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 90.1% across 5,286 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 Q8?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 38.1% of failed Audi Q8 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 Q8?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.0% of all Audi Q8 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi Q8 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 47,911 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 Q8 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi Q8 cars tested, 75% are diesel, 22% are petrol, 3% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi Q8 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 5,286 recorded MOT tests of the Audi Q8, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 5,286 MOT tests, 90.1% of Audi Q8 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Audi Q8 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 tyre seriously damaged, which appears in 38.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 47,911 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

90.1%unadjusted, not comparable5,286 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Q8. 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 5,286 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi Q8 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre seriously damaged38.1%
172 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements29.0%
131 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements13.3%
60 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged12.0%
54 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.0%
45 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.9%
40 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.0%
27 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.3%
24 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
9.A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud4.9%
22 occurrencesWheel nut, bolt or stud missing, loose or damaged explained
10.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction4.4%
20 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi Q8 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 requirements23.0%
1,214 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.2%
539 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.2%
538 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn6.0%
317 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.1%
217 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.Nail in tyre3.9%
204 tests
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.4%
178 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt3.2%
171 tests

What gets tested

The Q8 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 47,911
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel75.0%
Petrol22.1%
Hybrid2.8%

Trim names grouped into this model (14)

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

Q8 COMP VSPRUNG 60 TFSI E QT A
Q8 COMPETITION 60TFSI E QUAT A
Q8 S LINE 50 TDI QUATTRO AUTO
Q8 S LINE 50TDI MHEV QUATTRO A
Q8 S LINE 55 TFSI E QUATTRO A
Q8 S LINE 55 TFSI MHEV QUAT A
Q8 S LINE ED 1 50 TDI QUAT A
Q8 S LINE VOR 55 TFSI E QUAT A
Q8 S LN BLK ED 55TFSI E QUAT A
Q8 SLN BLK ED 50 TDI MHEV QT A
Q8 SLN BLK ED 55TFSI MHEV QT A
Q8 SLN ED 1 55 TFSI MHEV QTO A
Q8 SLN VOR 55 TFSI MHEV QUAT A
Q8 SLN VSPRUNG 50TDI MHEV QT A

Check a specific Audi Q8

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 Q8 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Audi Q8, 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 90.1% across 5,286 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 Q8?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 38.1% of failed Audi Q8 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 Q8?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.0% of all Audi Q8 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi Q8 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 47,911 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 Q8 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi Q8 cars tested, 75% are diesel, 22% are petrol, 3% 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. 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.