Audi
2,397 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where A5 S Line ED 1 40 Tfsi Mhev SAs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.0%
Pass-after-fix
1.2%
Fail
7.0%
Avg miles
27,969
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,397 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old A5 S Line ED 1 40 Tfsi Mhev SA examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
90.4%
Fail
6.8%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
34,491 mi
Pass
91.3%
Fail
7.1%
PRS
1.5%
Avg mileage at test
24,621 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,397 MOT tests, the A5 S Line Ed 1 40 Tfsi Mhev Sa returns 91.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A seriously damaged tyre and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 27,969, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
71 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
32 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
26 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
22 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
20 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
13 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
12 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
7 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£140–£235
If every one of this A5 S Line ED 1 40 Tfsi Mhev SA's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Audi A5 S Line ED 1 40 Tfsi Mhev SA makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.3%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 91.3% — a 0.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 24,621 miles — roughly 10K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
90.4%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 90.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, blade defective, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 34,491 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (90.4% pass). That's a 0.9-point spread across 824 older tests and 1,573 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own an A5 S Line ED 1 40 Tfsi Mhev SA and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
