How reliable is the Audi SQ5 compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Audi SQ5, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 90.9% across 2,121 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 SQ5?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.2% of failed Audi SQ5 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 SQ5?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 18.6% of all Audi SQ5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi SQ5 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 53,129 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 SQ5 years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Audi SQ5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.0%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 76.5%. 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 SQ5 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.0% of Audi SQ5 tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 76.5%. 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 SQ5 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi SQ5 cars tested, 98% are diesel, 2% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi SQ5 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,121 recorded MOT tests of the Audi SQ5, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,121 MOT tests, 90.9% of Audi SQ5 tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Audi SQ5 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 tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 20.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 53,129 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

90.9%unadjusted, not comparable2,121 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the SQ5. 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 2,121 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi SQ5 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 requirements20.2%
35 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged17.3%
30 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.9%
24 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged11.6%
20 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm11.6%
20 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements9.2%
16 occurrencesRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.2%
16 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged5.8%
10 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning4.0%
7 occurrencesLamp not working explained
10.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.5%
6 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi SQ5 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 requirements18.6%
394 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured9.6%
203 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.2%
174 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.1%
171 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.8%
81 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
6.Nail in tyre2.4%
50 tests
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements2.0%
42 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt1.9%
41 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Audi SQ5

The 16 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

SQ5 pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Audi SQ5 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. 2017–201995%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201686%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201376%

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 SQ5 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 SQ5 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 53,129
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel97.8%
Petrol1.9%

Trim names grouped into this model (5)

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

SQ5 TDI
SQ5 TDI MHEV QUATTRO AUTO
SQ5 TFSI
SQ5 VORSPRUNG TDI MHEV QUAT A
SQ5 VORSPRUNG TDI QUATTRO AUTO

Check a specific Audi SQ5

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 SQ5 compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Audi SQ5, 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 90.9% across 2,121 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 SQ5?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 20.2% of failed Audi SQ5 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 SQ5?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 18.6% of all Audi SQ5 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi SQ5 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 53,129 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 SQ5 years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Audi SQ5 cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 93.0%, and those registered 2011–2013 do worst at 76.5%. 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 SQ5 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 93.0% of Audi SQ5 tests pass. By 12 to 14 years, that falls to 76.5%. 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 SQ5 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi SQ5 cars tested, 98% are diesel, 2% 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.