Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 264,870 tests

Pass rate climbs 9.0 points across the cohorts — newer A5 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 221,534

Pass

82.6%

Fail

13.9%

PRS

3.0%

Avg mileage at test

94,574 mi

2018–2020 cohort 42,561

Pass

89.1%

Fail

9.3%

PRS

1.3%

Avg mileage at test

44,878 mi

2021+ cohort 775

Pass

91.6%

Fail

7.6%

PRS

0.3%

Avg mileage at test

28,822 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

Audi A5 · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Audi A5: solid MOT record across 142,462 tests

The Audi A5 is a series of compact executive and grand touring coupé cars produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi since June 2007. The A5 range also includes the coupe, cabriolet, and "Sportback"—a five-door liftback with a fastback roofline—derived from the Audi A4 saloon and estate models.

MOT data from 142,462 tests puts this car on a 81.1% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 82,085 miles. The most common fail item is tyre tread below the legal limit, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.

Buyers weighing up a used A5 should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 28–42

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

28–42

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

6,497 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
02

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

5,610 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
03

A tyre cords visible or damaged

4,075 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
04

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

3,708 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
05

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

3,637 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
06

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

2,977 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

2,950 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
08

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

2,854 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
09

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

2,667 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
10

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

2,212 occurrences · 0.8% 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 4 failures

£280–£670

If every one of this A5'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 →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 9.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Audi A5 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

91.6%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 91.6% — a 9.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 28,822 miles — roughly 66K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: does not conform to the specified requirements, 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

82.6%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 82.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.6% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and pin or bush excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 94,574 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (82.6% pass). That's a 9.0-point spread across 221,534 older tests and 775 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-215 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-216 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£14.29

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Audi/VW Drain Plug Key, 1/2" Sq. Dr.

£21.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Recall history

19 UK recalls on record.

The A5 has 19 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an A5?

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 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.