How reliable is the Audi S6 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Audi S6, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 89.0% across 525 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 S6?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 25.0% of failed Audi S6 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 S6?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.2% of all Audi S6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi S6 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,793 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 S6 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Audi S6 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.1%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 74.2%. 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 S6 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.1% of Audi S6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 74.2%. 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 S6 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi S6 cars tested, 62% are diesel, 38% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi S6 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 525 recorded MOT tests of the Audi S6, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 525 MOT tests, 89.0% of Audi S6 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Audi S6 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 25.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 69,793 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

89.0%unadjusted, not comparable525 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the S6. 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 525 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi S6 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 damaged25.0%
5 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.0%
3 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer15.0%
3 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged10.0%
2 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction10.0%
2 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
6.Headlamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements10.0%
2 occurrencesLamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity explained
7.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.0%
2 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.0%
1 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen5.0%
1 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.0%
1 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi S6 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 requirements13.2%
47 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm6.2%
22 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged3.4%
12 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.1%
11 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.8%
10 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged2.5%
9 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured2.5%
9 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Nail in tyre1.7%
6 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Audi S6

The 10 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

S6 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Audi S6 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. 2020–202293%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201996%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier74%

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 S6 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 S6 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 69,793
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel61.7%
Petrol38.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (10)

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

AUDI S6
S6 AVANT
S6 BLACK ED TDI MHEV QUATTRO A
S6 QUATTRO
S6 TDI MHEV QUATTRO AUTO
S6 TDI QUATTRO AUTO
S6 TFSI
S6 V10
S6 VORSPRUNG TDI MHEV QUAT A
S6 VORSPRUNG TDI QUATTRO AUTO

Check a specific Audi S6

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 S6 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Audi S6, 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 89.0% across 525 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 S6?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre seriously damaged", which appears in 25.0% of failed Audi S6 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 S6?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 13.2% of all Audi S6 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi S6 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 69,793 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 S6 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Audi S6 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.1%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 74.2%. 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 S6 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.1% of Audi S6 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 74.2%. 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 S6 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi S6 cars tested, 62% are diesel, 38% 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. 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.