Audi
1,869 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where A5 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.0 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
86.5%
Pass-after-fix
1.6%
Fail
11.8%
Avg miles
34,300
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,869 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old A5 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S A examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
85.9%
Fail
11.0%
PRS
3.0%
Avg mileage at test
40,517 mi
Pass
86.8%
Fail
12.2%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
30,512 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,869 MOT tests, the A5 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S-A returns 86.5% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is shock absorber damaged to the extent. A seriously damaged tyre and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 34,300, 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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A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
133 occurrences · 7.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
31 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
30 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
29 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
24 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
18 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
18 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
12 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
7 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6 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 2 failures
£120–£190
If every one of this A5 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S A'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 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S A makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
86.8%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 86.8% — a 1.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 30,512 miles — roughly 10K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a serious fluid leak, has ply or cords exposed — 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
85.9%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 85.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 86.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a serious fluid leak, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 40,517 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (86.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (85.9% pass). That's a 1.0-point spread across 707 older tests and 1,162 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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 Sport 35 Tdi Mhev S A 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.
