Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 252,690 tests

Pass rate climbs 11.1 points across the cohorts — newer TT examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 224,846

Pass

81.0%

Fail

15.2%

PRS

3.2%

Avg mileage at test

85,115 mi

2018–2020 cohort 22,485

Pass

93.1%

Fail

5.5%

PRS

1.1%

Avg mileage at test

30,066 mi

2021+ cohort 5,359

Pass

92.0%

Fail

6.7%

PRS

1.1%

Avg mileage at test

19,754 mi

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

Generations on file · 3

Audi TT · UK market

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

The picture

79% pass rate with water ingress and CV boot quirks

79.02% first-time pass from 137,512 tests sits comfortably above the UK average, and the TT's 79,489 average test mileage suggests it's still mid-life for most. CV joint boot deterioration tops the failure chart, followed by tyre tread and windscreen damage — routine across any sports car used year-round. Owner reports reveal a different layer: water ingress into the rear hatch on the Roadster, reported repeatedly from as low as 2,000 miles and persisting across multiple production years. Frameless front windows freeze solid in cold weather on the 2015 TFSI. Interior seat trim cracks within three of four panels on the S-Line and get rejected as inflicted damage by both dealer and Audi UK. The MOT pass rate is genuinely good; the interior and weather sealing reputation is not. Factor retest likelihood into your tyre and boot inspection before booking.

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

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

5,881 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

5,128 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
03

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

5,107 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
04

Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

3,823 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
05

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

3,640 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
06

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

3,515 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
07

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

3,120 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
08

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

2,778 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
09

A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

2,565 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
10

A tyre cords visible or damaged

2,339 occurrences · 0.9% 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

£150–£415

If every one of this TT'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 12.1-point gap between bands means the year you buy Audi TT has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.1%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.1% — a 12.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 30,066 miles — roughly 55K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

81.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.1% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 85,115 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme. Honest John records: "Report of supplying Audi dealer and AUdi UK Customer Services turning down a warranty claim for cracks in the of the plastic side trims of seats of 2015 Audi TT…"

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.1% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.0% pass). That's a 12.1-point spread across 224,846 older tests and 22,485 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

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

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 →

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

Where it falls short

Owner reports (5 entries) flag recurring problems with water/oil leaks, EGR valve, gearbox/clutch.

Recent owner-reported faults

9 Oct 2018
Report of supplying Audi dealer and AUdi UK Customer Services turning down a warranty claim for cracks in the of the plastic side trims of seats of 2015 Audi TT Roadster S-Line 230HP DSG. Attributed to inflicted damage and not covered by warranty despite 3 of the 4 trims cracked in the same place and similar cases referenced on Audi TT user forum. Case referred to The Motor Ombudsman for consideration.
10 Apr 2018
Report of problems with Approved Used 2015 Audi TT 2.0 TFSI, bought with 15k miles: F irst issue was various interior rattles which seemed untraceable. Then when the weather got cold owner found both frameless front windows would get frozen completely, meaning you can't easily open or close the doors. Most recently it's been off the road for 2-weeks due to a failed clutch, which owner was not expecting on a car with such low mileage. Audi agreed to replace under goodwill but there was a bit of mumbling about 'wear and tear', etc.
19 Oct 2016
Another report of the water ingress problem (above 6-2-2015): " Just been reading your review of the TT and I note the running report where it mentions water getting into the hatch. It's happened to me too: twice. First at ca.2000 miles / 3 months The initial symptom was the rear number plate light failing . Then distinct sloshing sounds when cornering - the tailgate was full of water. Dealership had a go at draining & sealing it, but the exact same symptoms returned within a month. After 10 days in the dealership it seems to be sealed better this time; much grovelling from the Service Dept manager.
24 Feb 2016
Report of doors of new Audi TT, bought on a PCP in Spetember 2015, proving impossible to close when the ambient temperature drops below minus 2 degrees centigrade. Can take up to 10 minutes for the car to heat up sufficiently for the doors to latch.
6 Feb 2015
Water ingress problems with HJ long term test car. Plastic trim of boot not fitted properly.

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 5 reports indexed

Recall history

15 UK recalls on record.

The TT has 15 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a TT?

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 TT 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.