Audi
2,900 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro SAs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
93.1%
Pass-after-fix
0.9%
Fail
5.5%
Avg miles
36,023
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 · 2,900 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro SA examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
93.3%
Fail
5.5%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
45,682 mi
Pass
93.0%
Fail
5.5%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
31,273 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 578 MOT tests, the Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro Sa returns 92.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. Tyre tread under the limit and a defective wiper blade round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 34,966, 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.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. 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 →
30–42
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
70 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
67 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
43 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
17 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Reflector defective or damaged by up to 50% of the reflecting surface
15 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Number plate showing an incorrect registration
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
8 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
£80–£140
If every one of this Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro 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 Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro SA makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
93.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.3% — a 0.3-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, 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.
Band to be cautious about
93.0%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 93.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.3% 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 has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 31,273 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (93.0% pass). That's a 0.3-point spread across 1,945 older tests and 955 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
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
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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 a Q5 S Line 50 Tfsi E Quattro 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.
