How reliable is the Audi S5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Audi S5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 82.0% across 2,163 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 S5?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 17.5% of failed Audi S5 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 S5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.1% of all Audi S5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi S5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 74,186 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.

Which Audi S5 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Audi S5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 89.3%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 75.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Audi S5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.3% of Audi S5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 75.5%. 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 S5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi S5 cars tested, 66% are petrol, 34% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi S5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,163 recorded MOT tests of the Audi S5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,163 MOT tests, 82.0% of Audi S5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Audi S5 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 suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 17.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 74,186 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

82.0%unadjusted, not comparable2,163 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the S5. 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 2,163 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi S5 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.5%
58 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged16.9%
56 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened13.3%
44 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged12.7%
42 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.3%
34 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements7.9%
26 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
7.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction7.3%
24 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.9%
23 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen6.9%
23 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements6.6%
22 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi S5 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 requirements21.1%
455 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.8%
383 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured8.8%
190 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.9%
148 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged6.1%
132 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.0%
129 tests
7.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage4.5%
97 testsShock absorber defective explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged4.1%
88 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Audi S5

The 15 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

How wear changes the picture

S5 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Audi S5 passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202289%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201685%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201378%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier76%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer S5 outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The S5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 74,186
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol66.1%
Diesel33.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (18)

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

S5 BLACK ED TDI MHEV QUATTRO A
S5 CABRIO
S5 CABRIOLET
S5 CONVERTIBLE
S5 COUPE
S5 EDITION 1 TDI MHEV QUAT A
S5 QUATTRO
S5 QUATTRO TFSI
S5 QUATTRO TFSI SPORTBACK AUTO
S5 SPORTBACK QUATTRO
S5 TDI MHEV QUATTRO AUTO
S5 TFSI
S5 TFSI AUTO
S5 TFSI CABRIOLET
S5 TFSI QUATTRO
S5 TFSI QUATTRO AUTO
S5 V8
S5 VORSPRUNG TDI MHEV QUAT A

Check a specific Audi S5

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 S5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Audi S5, 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 82.0% across 2,163 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 S5?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 17.5% of failed Audi S5 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 S5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.1% of all Audi S5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi S5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 74,186 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.
Which Audi S5 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Audi S5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 89.3%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 75.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Audi S5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.3% of Audi S5 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 75.5%. 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 S5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi S5 cars tested, 66% are petrol, 34% 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.