Audi A6 — MOT statistics 2024
The Audi A6 failed 20.9% of 126,603 first MOT attempts in 2024 ("first-time", excluding retests). Adjusted for the age of the fleet, its initial-failure ratio is 71.9 (100 = expected for its age profile). This car fails its MOT about 28% less often than expected for its age.
Age-adjusted peer: Land Rover Range Rover Sport (index 72.5) — the two published results are 0.6 index points apart.
Audi A6 common problems: what actually fails the MOT
Suspension is well below the reference at 8.6 per 100 tests, against 14.4 per 100 tests across UK vehicles of the same ages.
higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests
family vs national — matched to UK vehicles of the same ages — top component groups, per 100 tests. Legend: This family · National avg. Combined labels: family / national average. A gap here reflects how these vehicles are driven, used and maintained as well as how they were built — an MOT defect is a test outcome, not a breakdown.
Component-group comparison table
Each ratio carries a 95% interval. With 6 groups compared here, roughly one apparent difference in twenty is chance alone.
| Group | This family | Cases behind it | UK, same ages | Family / national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & electrical | 12.4 | 96,016 | 16.4 | 0.76×0.75–0.76 |
| Tyres | 10.2 | 79,214 | 8.8 | 1.15×1.15–1.16 |
| Suspension | 8.6 | 66,325 | 14.4 | 0.60×0.59–0.60 |
| Visibility | 6.7 | 52,130 | 7.7 | 0.87×0.87–0.89 |
| Brakes | 5.3 | 40,955 | 11.0 | 0.48×0.48–0.49 |
| Body & structure | 3.7 | 28,381 | 5.0 | 0.74×0.73–0.75 |
| What failed | per 100 tests (this family) | per 100 tests (UK average) | ratio family / UK | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windscreen or window damaged or seriously…Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view | 3.61 | 2.36 | 1.53× | Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 4.23 | 3.59 | 1.18× | Check tyre tread depth across the full width |
| Tyre cords visible or damagedA tyre cords visible or damaged | 2.09 | 1.63 | 1.28× | Check tyre tread depth across the full width |
| Tyre seriously damagedA tyre seriously damaged | 2.99 | 2.54 | 1.18× | Check tyre tread depth across the full width |
| Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunctionEngine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction | 1.50 | 1.19 | 1.27× | Ask the seller about: Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| Rear registration plate lamp or light source…A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 2.59 | 2.83 | 0.92× | Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure |
| Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively wornA suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 4.48 | 4.87 | 0.92× | Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test |
| Aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down…The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 1.89 | 2.57 | 0.74× | Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure |
| Brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mma brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1.38 | 2.15 | 0.64× | Feel for brake judder and pulling on the test drive |
| Spring or spring component fractured or seriously…A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 1.73 | 2.86 | 0.61× | Ask the seller about: A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.
Audi A6 MOT advisories: what gets flagged
Tyres are highest at 39.2 per 100 tests; Identification is lowest at 2.7 per 100 tests — the gap is 36.5 per 100 tests.
higher bar = flagged more oftenadvisory items per 100 initial tests
Advisory rates table
| Group | Advisories per 100 |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 39.2 |
| Suspension | 26.7 |
| Brakes | 24.6 |
| Non-component advisories | 6.7 |
| Emissions & leaks | 3.2 |
| Identification | 2.7 |
Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.
Tyres, brakes and suspension: Audi A6 against cars of the same age
| Age | Part | Audi A6 | Same age, petrol and diesel | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | Tyres | 5.95 | 4.17 | 1.78 |
| 3 years | Brakes | 1.1 | 1.77 | -0.67 |
| 3 years | Suspension | 0.22 | 0.63 | -0.41 |
| 4 years | Tyres | 5.9 | 4.54 | 1.36 |
| 4 years | Brakes | 1.47 | 2.43 | -0.96 |
| 4 years | Suspension | 0.44 | 1.21 | -0.77 |
| 5 years | Tyres | 5.82 | 5.06 | 0.76 |
| 5 years | Brakes | 1.55 | 3.09 | -1.54 |
| 5 years | Suspension | 0.69 | 2.19 | -1.50 |
| 6 years | Tyres | 6.32 | 5.54 | 0.78 |
| 6 years | Brakes | 1.78 | 3.81 | -2.03 |
| 6 years | Suspension | 1.26 | 3.72 | -2.46 |
| 7 years | Tyres | 6.35 | 5.95 | 0.40 |
| 7 years | Brakes | 1.92 | 4.55 | -2.63 |
| 7 years | Suspension | 2.27 | 5.68 | -3.41 |
| 8 years | Tyres | 6.72 | 6.31 | 0.41 |
| 8 years | Brakes | 2.14 | 5.38 | -3.24 |
| 8 years | Suspension | 3.5 | 7.78 | -4.28 |
Failing items per 100 initial tests, 2019-2024. The comparison group is every petrol or diesel car tested at the same age, so weight and drivetrain show up rather than fleet age.
If a car like this fails, does it fail again?
A failure rate does not say whether a failure is a one-off or the start of something. This follows the same vehicles into their next ordinary MOT a year later — retests after a repair are excluded, because they follow a failure by definition. 2019-2024.
| After this year's test | Fails next year | Vehicles followed |
|---|---|---|
| It failed | 29.7% | 32,725 |
| It passed | 18.4% | 452,306 |
A failed test raises next year's chance of failing again by 11.3 percentage points. The failure most likely to come back is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 32.5% of those vehicles fail again next year. Some of this is the vehicle and some is the owner: a car that was let go once tends to be let go again. One caveat: a car that fails may be sold or scrapped rather than tested again, so these figures describe the vehicles that came back.
Adjusted for how much these are actually driven
The headline index adjusts for the fleet's age. Wear, though, follows mileage: a three-year-old taxi and a three-year-old garage queen sit in the same age band. These two rows compare every car with vehicles of the same age, and then with vehicles of the same age and the same annual mileage, 2019-2024, on 769,831 tests. Both stand on the six-year corpus so they are measured on identical data — compare them with each other, not with the headline index above, which is measured on 2024 alone.
| Standardised for | Index | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Age only | 73.7 | fails less often than expected |
| Age and annual mileage | 66.0 | fails less often than vehicles driven as much |
| Share doing under 3,000 miles a year | 0.6% | a normal spread of use |
Mileage matters here: matching on how much these are driven moves the figure by 7.7 points — this fleet works harder than the vehicles it is measured against, so the age-only view penalises it — but it does not change which side of normal the car sits on. One limit to keep in mind: mileage is partly a result of how often a car breaks down — one that spends weeks in the workshop covers fewer miles — so the mileage-matched figure can understate a real weakness. Tests with no usable odometer reading are left out of it.
How the Audi A6 compares with cars of its own age and size
Not against the whole fleet — against cars of the same size class tested at the same age, 2019-2024.
| Age | Audi A6 | Same class, same age | Difference | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 10.27% | 11.72% | -1.45 pp | 57,533 |
| 4 years | 10.98% | 13.33% | -2.35 pp | 58,909 |
| 5 years | 11.83% | 15.12% | -3.29 pp | 64,532 |
| 6 years | 13.53% | 17.41% | -3.87 pp | 66,206 |
| 7 years | 15.36% | 20.24% | -4.89 pp | 66,400 |
| 8 years | 17.56% | 23.33% | -5.77 pp | 64,239 |
| 9 years | 20.14% | 26.87% | -6.73 pp | 57,865 |
| 10 years | 22.95% | 30.18% | -7.23 pp | 51,317 |
| 11 years | 26.06% | 33.6% | -7.55 pp | 48,623 |
| 12 years | 29.11% | 36.62% | -7.51 pp | 46,846 |
| 13 years | 31.1% | 39.04% | -7.95 pp | 43,304 |
| 14 years | 32.73% | 40.99% | -8.26 pp | 38,501 |
| 15 years | 34.33% | 42.45% | -8.12 pp | 31,791 |
| 16 years | 36.18% | 43.26% | -7.08 pp | 26,113 |
| 17 years | 37.33% | 43.61% | -6.28 pp | 18,517 |
| 18 years | 38.87% | 43.69% | -4.82 pp | 11,170 |
| 19 years | 39.76% | 43.23% | -3.47 pp | 6,760 |
| 20 years | 43.04% | 42.42% | +0.62 pp | 4,396 |
Raw first-time failure rates within each age, so fleet age cannot flatter either side. A positive difference means this model fails more often than its own class at that age.
How does the Audi A6 perform as it gets older?
The A6 at age 12 is well below the reference at 22.1%, against 35.7% for all vehicles of the same age.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Chart axes: car age, years · failure-rate scale 0–47%.
Takeaway: a 10-year-old A6 has roughly a 20% chance of failing its MOT.
Data table
| Age | Audi A6 | All vehicles | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9.7% | 12.4% | -2.7 pp |
| 4 | 9.0% | 13.1% | -4.1 pp |
| 5 | 10.8% | 15.1% | -4.3 pp |
| 6 | 12.7% | 17.5% | -4.8 pp |
| 7 | 14.5% | 20.2% | -5.7 pp |
| 8 | 16.0% | 23.3% | -7.3 pp |
| 9 | 17.2% | 26.5% | -9.3 pp |
| 10 | 20.2% | 30.1% | -9.9 pp |
| 11 | 20.7% | 33.2% | -12.4 pp |
| 12 | 22.1% | 35.7% | -13.6 pp |
| 13 | 27.7% | 38.2% | -10.5 pp |
| 14 | 30.2% | 40.4% | -10.2 pp |
| 15 | 31.4% | 41.6% | -10.1 pp |
| 16 | 34.4% | 43.1% | -8.7 pp |
| 17 | 34.0% | 43.1% | -9.2 pp |
| 18 | 36.1% | 43.9% | -7.7 pp |
| 19 | 36.3% | 43.5% | -7.2 pp |
| 20 | 39.3% | 41.0% | -1.7 pp |
Is an Audi A6 ULEZ compliant?
The share of classifiable 2024 Audi A6 MOT tests likely ULEZ compliant by first-registration date is 45.2%.
Based on 126,080 classifiable initial MOT tests. This describes the tested fleet, not a specific car. MOT data do not record Euro class, so likely compliance is inferred from fuel and first-registration date. For the only authoritative answer, check the registration with TfL's official ULEZ checker.
higher = larger share likely compliantinferred from fuel and first-registration date; not a recorded Euro class
| Vehicle age at test | Likely ULEZ-compliant share | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 years | 100.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 737 |
| 3–5 years | 100.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 17,333 |
| 6–7 years | 100.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 17,673 |
| 8 years | 100.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 13,249 |
| 9 years | 45.1% Check a registration with TfL | n = 11,272 |
| 10–14 years | 3.1% Check a registration with TfL | n = 42,748 |
| 15–17 years | 7.8% Check a registration with TfL | n = 15,432 |
| 18 years | 11.8% Check a registration with TfL | n = 3,229 |
| 19 years | 0.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 1,786 |
| 20+ years | 0.0% Check a registration with TfL | n = 2,621 |
Audi A6 petrol vs diesel: which ages best
Diesel is highest at 21.5%; Hybrid is lowest at 5.4% — the gap is 16.1 percentage points.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Fuel split table
| Fuel | Tests | % failing | Gap vs best |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 112,893 | 21.5% | +16.1 pp |
| Petrol | 12,310 | 16.8% | +11.4 pp |
| Hybrid | 1,384 | 5.4% | +0.0 pp |
Chart sample sizes: n=113k · n=12k · n=1,384.
How dangerous are Audi A6 MOT failures?
Major defects are well below the reference at 29.7 per 100 tests, against 52.8 per 100 tests nationally.
higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests
Severity table
| Severity | This family /100 | National /100 | Family / national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor | 12.18 | 14.22 | 0.86× |
| Major | 29.72 | 52.75 | 0.56× |
| Dangerous | 10.35 | 11.15 | 0.93× |
Chart values: Minor 12.2 · Major 29.7 · Dangerous 10.3.
Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 14.2 · Major 52.8 · Dangerous 11.2 per 100.
Does the month of an Audi A6 MOT matter?
Jan is highest at 22.9%; Sep is lowest at 20.3% — the gap is 2.6 percentage points.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Chart scale: 19%–33%.
bars: Audi A6 · dashed: all class-4 cars
Month-by-month table
| Month | Audi A6 | All vehicles | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22.9% | 31.12% | -8.2 pp |
| Feb | 22.11% | 29.99% | -7.9 pp |
| Mar | 20.68% | 28.26% | -7.6 pp |
| Apr | 21.91% | 29.78% | -7.9 pp |
| May | 20.9% | 28.79% | -7.9 pp |
| Jun | 20.7% | 28.15% | -7.4 pp |
| Jul | 21.42% | 29.33% | -7.9 pp |
| Aug | 21.15% | 29.2% | -8.1 pp |
| Sep | 20.33% | 28.19% | -7.9 pp |
| Oct | 21.61% | 30.34% | -8.7 pp |
| Nov | 22.11% | 30.58% | -8.5 pp |
| Dec | 21.37% | 29.33% | -8.0 pp |
Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 2.6 percentage points — booking month barely matters for this family. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.
Before reading the shape: most of it is not about cars. Britain changes its registration plates twice a year, and 18.9% of these cars were first registered in March with another17.1% in September — 36% in two months against the 17% an even spread would give. An MOT falls due three years after first registration, so the buying calendar becomes the testing calendar. That shapes how many cars are tested each month — not how often they fail: the busiest months here are not the worst ones, so read the failure line on its own and the volume behind it separately.
Audi A6 average mileage by age
At age 8, the middle half of A6s runs from 64,131 miles to 103,574 miles, against 81,668 miles as the median.
further right = more milesmedian is the typical car; band is p25–p75
Chart axes: car age, years · odometer scale 0–203k mi.
Does high mileage mean more Audi A6 MOT failures at the same age?
Within the same age group, split by odometer (2024 MOTs), so this separates wear from age: at ages 10–14, 12.1% of those with under 40,000 miles failed first time versus 27.1% of those with over 140,000 miles.Inside this age group, higher mileage goes with more failures.
| Age | Odometer | % failing | 95% interval | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | <40k miles | 8.7% | 8.1–9.3% | 8,020 |
| 3–5 | 40-70k miles | 11.2% | 10.4–11.9% | 7,001 |
| 3–5 | 70-100k miles | 12.2% | 10.8–13.8% | 1,808 |
| 3–5 | 100-140k miles | 11.6% | 8.9–15% | 423 (rough estimate) |
| 3–5 | 140k+ miles | 6.3% | 2.7–14% | 79 (rough estimate) |
| 6–9 | <40k miles | 8.7% | 7.8–9.8% | 2,960 |
| 6–9 | 40-70k miles | 13.4% | 12.8–14% | 13,979 |
| 6–9 | 70-100k miles | 16.2% | 15.7–16.9% | 14,346 |
| 6–9 | 100-140k miles | 18.2% | 17.3–19% | 8,112 |
| 6–9 | 140k+ miles | 19.2% | 17.7–20.7% | 2,786 |
| 10–14 | <40k miles | 12.1% | 9.2–15.7% | 381 (rough estimate) |
| 10–14 | 40-70k miles | 16.3% | 15–17.6% | 3,075 |
| 10–14 | 70-100k miles | 20.6% | 19.8–21.4% | 9,561 |
| 10–14 | 100-140k miles | 23.8% | 23.1–24.4% | 16,462 |
| 10–14 | 140k+ miles | 27.1% | 26.4–27.9% | 13,248 |
| 15+ | <40k miles | 20.7% | 13.4–30.7% | 82 (rough estimate) |
| 15+ | 40-70k miles | 20.7% | 17.4–24.6% | 482 (rough estimate) |
| 15+ | 70-100k miles | 27.9% | 25.9–30% | 1,781 |
| 15+ | 100-140k miles | 32.9% | 31.7–34.1% | 5,910 |
| 15+ | 140k+ miles | 36.7% | 36–37.5% | 14,804 |
line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)
Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
| Age | p25 | Median | p75 | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 22,327 | 30,165 | 40,756 | 4,825 |
| 4 | 28,923 | 39,164 | 53,096 | 3,628 |
| 5 | 37,990 | 49,555 | 64,631 | 8,880 |
| 6 | 44,851 | 58,278 | 75,859 | 8,243 |
| 7 | 54,739 | 70,835 | 91,586 | 9,430 |
| 8 | 64,131 | 81,668 | 103,574 | 13,249 |
| 9 | 73,732 | 93,310 | 117,711 | 11,272 |
| 10 | 82,356 | 102,980 | 128,277 | 10,694 |
| 11 | 90,265 | 111,888 | 137,500 | 10,438 |
| 12 | 99,091 | 123,087 | 149,096 | 8,060 |
| 13 | 107,755 | 132,255 | 161,023 | 6,916 |
| 14 | 113,941 | 142,000 | 170,851 | 6,641 |
| 15 | 119,036 | 149,572 | 180,231 | 4,306 |
| 16 | 125,545 | 153,596 | 182,245 | 5,621 |
| 17 | 131,594 | 159,793 | 189,397 | 5,505 |
| 18 | 135,727 | 163,031 | 193,664 | 3,229 |
| 19 | 128,379 | 161,142 | 190,857 | 1,789 |
| 20+ | 115,851 | 150,953 | 189,786 | 2,631 |
A typical 8-year-old A6 has ~81,668 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.
Where in Britain the Audi A6 fails its MOT most
Llandrindod Wells area is highest at 31.3%; London E area is lowest at 14.9% — the gap is 16.4 percentage points.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
| Toughest areas | % failing | vs model overall |
|---|---|---|
| Llandrindod Wells (LD) | 31.31% | +9.9 pp |
| Plymouth (PL) | 31.05% | +9.6 pp |
| Exeter (EX) | 30.59% | +9.2 pp |
| Dorchester (DT) | 30.2% | +8.8 pp |
| Truro (TR) | 30.11% | +8.7 pp |
| Easiest areas | % failing | vs model overall |
|---|---|---|
| London E (E) | 14.9% | -6.5 pp |
| Uxbridge (UB) | 14.96% | -6.5 pp |
| Bradford (BD) | 16.29% | -5.1 pp |
| Outer Hebrides (HS) | 16.49% | -4.9 pp |
| Croydon (CR) | 16.67% | -4.8 pp |
Why do areas differ?
For each external factor we correlate the area fail rate with the factor across postcode areas that have ≥800 tests of this family, then compare the bottom vs top fifth (quintile) of the factor. Correlation, not causation — factors travel together (the north is colder and often poorer; urban areas are denser and less salted). Road surface condition is joined now, for the 91 English areas the DfT publishes, and it explains nothing: the correlation with suspension failures is −0.01 and with body and structure failures 0.07. Potholes wreck wheels and tyres between tests, but by the time a car reaches the bay the road it drives on leaves no measurable trace.
In areas with the highest urban share this model fails 5.6 pp less often than in the lowest fifth (r=-0.52, n=114 areas with ≥800 tests).
In areas with the highest mot centre density this model fails 5.1 pp more often than in the lowest fifth (r=0.43, n=114 areas with ≥800 tests).
In the most coastal fifth of areas this model fails 4.1 pp more often than in the most inland fifth (r=-0.37, n=114 areas with ≥800 tests).
| Factor | Low Q | High Q | Gap | Correlation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban share | 24.6% | 19.0% | -5.6 pp | r=-0.52 |
| MOT centre density | 19.3% | 24.3% | +5.0 pp | r=0.43 |
| Distance to coast | 24.6% | 20.5% | -4.1 pp | r=-0.37 |
Factors that only mean something combined
Some conditions are useless on their own and informative multiplied together. Frost days alone say little — Britain barely freezes. Salt tonnage alone says little — it tracks frost. Distance to the sea alone says little. Multiply the first two and divide by the third and you get an index of how hard an area attacks a car's underside, and it lines up with the corrosion defects we actually record. We built five such combinations and tested each against our own data. Three survived; two did not, and the failures are listed here on purpose — a proxy that was never checked is decoration. One survivor only survived on the second attempt: built from a crude stand-in for street parking it failed outright, and rebuilt from the census — terraced streets carrying more cars than they have driveways — it works, and carries information the salt index does not.
| Composite | Built from | Tested against | r | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underbody corrosion | frost days × salt load ÷ (distance to coast + 1) | share of tests with a corrosion defect | +0.42 | holds (116 areas) |
| Tyre wear | rain days × annual miles ÷ age at first tyre advisory | share of tests failing on tyres | +0.45 | holds (116 areas) |
| Overnight corrosion | terraced housing × cars per household × frost days | share with a corrosion defect | +0.41 | holds (102 areas) — and adds signal beyond the first index |
| Deferred maintenance | deprivation × advisory-to-failure conversion ÷ labour rate | cars repeating the same advisory | −0.26 | fails (118 areas) |
| Powertrain stress | engine capacity ÷ kerb weight | suspension, brake and emissions failures | −0.16 | fails (22 models) |
The deprivation result is the one worth dwelling on. The intuition that poorer areas defer repairs is strong enough that most people treat it as established. We tested it twice — once on raw failure rates (r = 0.04) and again, more fairly, on whether an advisory turns into a failure — and it did not hold any of the three times we tried it — on raw failure rates, on advisory-to-failure conversion, and again with deprivation measured properly inside each nation rather than England alone. We are closing it. What does predict local failure rates is the density of test centres, which is a statement about testing, not about cars.
All external-factor correlations (machine-readable)
| Factor | r | n areas | Low-Q fail % | High-Q fail % | Gap pp | Low-Q factor | High-Q factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban share (0–1) | -0.524 | 114 | 24.6 | 19.0 | -5.6 | 0.4 | 1 |
| MOT centre density (per 10k vehicles) | 0.431 | 114 | 19.3 | 24.3 | +5.1 | 5 | 8.7 |
| Distance to coast (km) | -0.370 | 114 | 24.6 | 20.5 | -4.1 | 6.2 | 79.5 |
| Income deprivation (score) | -0.316 | 97 | 22.4 | 19.7 | -2.8 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Terrain gradient (% grade) | 0.144 | 67 | 21.4 | 23.3 | +1.9 | 0.5 | 3.7 |
| Frost days (days/year) | 0.010 | 114 | 23.3 | 21.9 | -1.4 | 11.6 | 38.1 |
| Road-salt proxy (g/m²-yr) | 0.010 | 114 | 21.9 | 21.8 | -0.1 | 221.2 | 675.1 |
Deprivation uses England IMD 2019 income score only (Scotland SIMD is a different scale). Salt proxy is a simplified NWSRG-style dry-salt sum from air Tmin; coastalness is distance from the area centroid to the nearest coastline.
Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.
Map labels: Scotland · N. England · Wales · London · S. West. Colour scale: 17%–29% failing.
Audi A6 survival: which cars are still on the road
By age 19 is well below the reference at 10.7%, against 100.0% at the ages 4–6 reference level.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Chart axes: car age, years · survival vs ages 4–6 · scale 0–105%.
Survival vs fail rate by age
| Age | Tests | Survival vs ages 4–6 | Fail % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 57,533 | 91% | 10.27% |
| 4 | 58,909 | 93.2% | 10.98% |
| 5 | 64,532 | 100% | 11.83% |
| 6 | 66,206 | 100% | 13.53% |
| 7 | 66,400 | 100% | 15.36% |
| 8 | 64,239 | 100% | 17.56% |
| 9 | 57,865 | 91.5% | 20.14% |
| 10 | 51,317 | 81.2% | 22.95% |
| 11 | 48,623 | 76.9% | 26.06% |
| 12 | 46,846 | 74.1% | 29.11% |
| 13 | 43,304 | 68.5% | 31.1% |
| 14 | 38,501 | 60.9% | 32.73% |
| 15 | 31,791 | 50.3% | 34.33% |
| 16 | 26,113 | 41.3% | 36.18% |
| 17 | 18,517 | 29.3% | 37.33% |
| 18 | 11,170 | 17.7% | 38.87% |
| 19 | 6,760 | 10.7% | 39.76% |
By age 19, only about 11% as many cars of this family present for MOT as at ages 4–6 (reference n≈63,215); survivors still fail at 39.8% vs 11.0% at age 4. Older cars that still appear are a selected subset — weaker ones have already left.
How many miles does an Audi A6 last?
100,000+ miles is highest at 45.1%; 200,000+ miles is lowest at 4.6% — the gap is 40.5 percentage points.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
| Odometer | Tests ≥ threshold | Share of sample |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000+ miles | 347,842 | 45.14% |
| 150,000+ miles | 140,127 | 18.19% |
| 200,000+ miles | 35,634 | 4.62% |
Of 770,560 tests of this family with a usable odometer in 2024, 45.1% had reached 100k miles, 18.2% had reached 150k miles, 4.6% had reached 200k miles. This is a cross-section of cars still presenting for MOT, not a full birth cohort.
How many years is an Audi A6 likely to last?
Bought at age 5 is highest at 9.5 years; Bought at age 15 is lowest at 2.5 years — the gap is 7.0 years.
bigger number = longer remaining lifeyears on the observed survival curve
| Age now | Typical mileage (p50) | Expected years left |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | 9.5 |
| 8 | — | 6.5 |
| 10 | — | 5.8 |
| 12 | — | 4.3 |
| 15 | — | at least 2.5 |
estimateEstimate only — not a warranty: a typical 10-year-old example of this family has about 5.8 expected years of further MOT-present life on the 2024 survival curve. Derived from how many cars of each age still appear for test, not from a longitudinal panel.
Audi A6 faults that come together
Road Wheels + Seatbelts & SRS stand out at 7.79×, against 1.00× if the faults were independent.
above 1.0× = more than expectedbelow 1.0× = less
| Group A | Group B | Together | Lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road Wheels | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 224 | 7.79× (rough estimate) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1,255 | 7.27× |
| Identification of the vehicle | Road Wheels | 76 | 7.24× (rough estimate) |
| Body, chassis, structure | Steering | 1,209 | 7.12× |
| Brakes | Steering | 1,243 | 6.74× |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Road Wheels | 375 | 6.27× (rough estimate) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Steering | 733 | 6.2× |
| Steering | Suspension | 1,856 | 6.12× |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Steering | 339 | 5.97× (rough estimate) |
| Body, chassis, structure | Noise, emissions and leaks | 3,036 | 5.88× |
| Brakes | Noise, emissions and leaks | 3,221 | 5.75× |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3,649 | 5.69× |
| Brakes | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1,515 | 5.62× |
| Identification of the vehicle | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 163 | 5.38× (rough estimate) |
| Identification of the vehicle | Noise, emissions and leaks | 338 | 5.36× (rough estimate) |
| Road Wheels | Steering | 102 | 5.18× (rough estimate) |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Steering | 2,270 | 5.17× |
| Brakes | Road Wheels | 469 | 5.02× (rough estimate) |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Noise, emissions and leaks | 6,588 | 4.93× |
| Identification of the vehicle | Steering | 101 | 4.87× (rough estimate) |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Suspension | 2,140 | 4.83× |
| Brakes | Suspension | 6,922 | 4.81× |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Suspension | 4,383 | 4.75× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Brakes | 3,779 | 4.69× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1,154 | 4.65× |
| Brakes | Identification of the vehicle | 431 | 4.38× (rough estimate) |
| Brakes | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9,023 | 4.33× |
| Road Wheels | Suspension | 662 | 4.31× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Suspension | 5,695 | 4.3× |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Suspension | 14,107 | 4.12× |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Road Wheels | 911 | 4.1× |
| Road Wheels | Tyres | 798 | 4.08× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7,707 | 4.02× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Road Wheels | 341 | 3.97× (rough estimate) |
| Identification of the vehicle | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 885 | 3.78× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Identification of the vehicle | 332 | 3.67× (rough estimate) |
| Identification of the vehicle | Suspension | 582 | 3.6× |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Tyres | 4,050 | 3.45× |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Tyres | 1,948 | 3.45× |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Visibility | 1,646 | 3.44× |
| Identification of the vehicle | Tyres | 701 | 3.4× |
| Brakes | Tyres | 6,183 | 3.37× |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Visibility | 3,026 | 3.04× |
| Road Wheels | Visibility | 490 | 2.95× (rough estimate) |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Visibility | 10,607 | 2.86× |
| Identification of the vehicle | Visibility | 500 | 2.86× |
| Steering | Visibility | 911 | 2.78× |
| Suspension | Tyres | 8,266 | 2.74× |
| Steering | Tyres | 1,055 | 2.73× |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Tyres | 11,750 | 2.69× |
| Brakes | Visibility | 4,035 | 2.59× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Visibility | 3,545 | 2.48× |
| Suspension | Visibility | 6,329 | 2.47× |
| Body, chassis, structure | Tyres | 3,877 | 2.3× |
| Tyres | Visibility | 7,191 | 2.21× |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Seat belt installation check | 18 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Seat belt installation check | Suspension | 9 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Seat belt installation check | Tyres | 9 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Body, chassis, structure | Seat belt installation check | 8 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Seat belt installation check | Visibility | 8 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Seat belt installation check | 7 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Brakes | Seat belt installation check | 7 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Brakes | Speedometer and speed limiter | 6 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | Speedometer and speed limiter | 5 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Seat belt installation check | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 5 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Speedometer and speed limiter | Suspension | 5 | too few (rough estimate) |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Speedometer and speed limiter | 5 | too few (rough estimate) |
Defects in «Noise, emissions and leaks» and «Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems» appear together 7.27× more often than chance (1,255 co-occurrences in the same test; lift≥1.3, n≥500).
Lift = how many times more often both groups appear on the same test than if independent. A pair is listed from 5 tests with both faults; the lift is shown from 20, and called above chance only when its 95% interval excludes 1 (see rough estimates).
Is low mileage better for an Audi A6?
Cars driven under 5,000 miles a year is well below the reference at 12.0%, against 19.5% for cars driven 8,000–12,000 miles a year.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
| Band | Fail % | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| <5k miles/year | 12.02% | 18,051 |
| 8–12k miles/year | 19.46% | 230,006 |
| Gap (low − normal) | -7.44 pp | — |
By fuel and age
Diesel
| Age | Low-use fail % | n | Normal fail % | n | Gap pp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 7.92 | 2,183 | 12.04 | 21,697 | -4.11 pp |
| 6 | 8.77 | 1,915 | 13.22 | 23,475 | -4.45 pp |
| 7 | 8.2 | 1,830 | 15.4 | 25,349 | -7.21 pp |
| 8 | 10.42 | 1,728 | 17.61 | 25,564 | -7.2 pp |
| 9 | 12.46 | 1,485 | 19.89 | 23,416 | -7.43 pp |
| 10 | 14.26 | 1,318 | 22.75 | 21,365 | -8.48 pp |
| 11 | 16 | 1,100 | 25.66 | 20,765 | -9.66 pp |
| 12 | 20.04 | 968 | 28.22 | 20,163 | -8.18 pp |
| 13 | 20.69 | 812 | 31.02 | 19,349 | -10.33 pp |
| 14 | 21.62 | 703 | 32.8 | 17,655 | -11.18 pp |
Petrol
| Age | Low-use fail % | n | Normal fail % | n | Gap pp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 8.28 | 761 | 11.66 | 2,067 | -3.38 pp |
| 6 | 7.9 | 658 | 12.26 | 1,909 | -4.35 pp |
| 7 | 6.52 | 460 | 10.76 | 1,115 | -4.24 pp |
| 8 | 5.03 | 358 | 12.06 | 854 | -7.03 pp |
| 9 | 8.93 | 291 | 16.35 | 691 | -7.42 pp |
| 10 | 11.42 | 254 | 18.92 | 613 | -7.51 pp |
| 11 | 16.46 | 243 | 26.79 | 657 | -10.33 pp |
| 12 | 17.27 | 278 | 28.08 | 869 | -10.81 pp |
| 13 | 18.94 | 301 | 30.34 | 1,101 | -11.4 pp |
| 14 | 18.53 | 367 | 32.23 | 1,303 | -13.7 pp |
At matched ages 5–14, cars averaging under 5k miles/year fail at 12.0% vs 19.5% for 8–12k miles/year — 7.4 pp lower (n_low=18,051, n_normal=230,006). In this family low annual use is associated with fewer MOT fails, not more — the ‘garage queen’ penalty is not visible in overall fail rates. Diesel alone: 12.3% low-use vs 19.5% normal (-7.1 pp).
Which Audi A6 engine is best?
petrol 1.5–1.8 is highest at 107.3; petrol over 2.0 is lowest at 84.7 — the gap is 22.6 points.
below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age
| Fuel | Capacity | vs own age norm | Raw fail % | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| petrol | over 2.0 litre | 84.7 | 21.27% | 40,766 |
| diesel | over 2.0 litre | 92.2 | 22.32% | 188,289 |
| petrol | 1.8–2.0 litre | 97.2 | 21.84% | 14,173 |
| diesel | 1.8–2.0 litre | 104.8 | 21.13% | 518,972 |
| petrol | 1.5–1.8 litre | 107.3 | 22.25% | 9,394 |
Splitting this model by fuel alone hides the thing that actually differs. Within the same badge, the petrol 1.5–1.8 runs at 107.3 against this model's own age norm while the petrol over 2.0 runs at 84.7 — a spread of 22.6 points between two cars that share a name.
Read this one with more care than the rest of the page. Age is held constant, but who buys which engine is not: the largest capacity in a range is often a performance or executive variant that is garaged, cherished and lightly driven, while the smallest is frequently a fleet or entry car worked hard from new. The gap below is real in the test records; how much of it is the engine and how much is the owner, this data cannot separate. Bands under 100 tests are not shown; bands under 5,000 tests are rough estimates.
Best year for an Audi A6, and the years to avoid
Build year 1998 is highest at 108.6; Build year 2020 is lowest at 88.4 — the gap is 20.2 points.
below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age
build year vs the same model at the same age · 100 = as expected
Every build year with its confidence interval
| Build year | vs own age norm | 95% CI | Raw fail % | Tests | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 88.4 | 81.8–95.1 | 9.1% | 7,498 | better |
| 2019 | 98.3 | 94.7–101.8 | 10.47% | 27,962 | no different |
| 2018 | 99.2 | 96.1–102.3 | 11.24% | 34,408 | no different |
| 2017 | 95.2 | 92.8–97.6 | 11.41% | 52,435 | better |
| 2016 | 99.8 | 98–101.7 | 13.06% | 84,662 | no different |
| 2015 | 94.5 | 92.6–96.4 | 13.89% | 71,208 | better |
| 2014 | 100.7 | 98.9–102.6 | 16.79% | 67,246 | no different |
| 2013 | 94.4 | 92.7–96.1 | 17.94% | 65,564 | better |
| 2012 | 92 | 90.3–93.8 | 19.79% | 52,516 | better |
| 2011 | 103 | 101.1–104.9 | 24.82% | 45,852 | worse |
| 2010 | 105.1 | 103.3–107 | 28% | 44,486 | worse |
| 2009 | 103.9 | 101.8–106 | 30.09% | 30,208 | worse |
| 2008 | 105.1 | 103.5–106.8 | 32.71% | 45,260 | worse |
| 2007 | 101.8 | 100.2–103.3 | 33.61% | 48,503 | worse |
| 2006 | 97.5 | 95.6–99.4 | 33.78% | 30,937 | better |
| 2005 | 100.8 | 98.5–103.1 | 36.37% | 19,936 | no different |
| 2004 | 106.5 | 103.6–109.5 | 40.15% | 12,433 | worse |
| 2003 | 105.2 | 101.8–108.7 | 41.18% | 8,717 | worse |
| 2002 | 107.7 | 103.5–111.9 | 43.48% | 5,881 | worse |
| 2001 | 105.1 | 99.2–111 | 43.75% | 2,766 | no different |
| 2000 | 106.6 | 100–113.2 | 45.6% | 2,180 | no different |
| 1999 | 106.1 | 97.9–114.3 | 47.25% | 1,365 | no different |
| 1998 | 108.6 | 95.4–121.8 | 48.6% | 535 | no different |
The best build year here is 2020 and the weakest is 2002. Comparing build years sounds simple and is not: within a single year of testing, a car's build year and its age are the same number, so a naive comparison of years is a comparison of ages wearing a disguise. Each year below is measured against the same model at the same age in other cohorts, across six years of testing — 14 of 23 years come out distinguishable from their own model's age norm.
Two limits worth knowing before you act on this. Age, test year and build year are locked together by arithmetic, so the test-year effect is taken from the observed national failure level of each year rather than estimated — it is an adjustment, not a solution.
Audi A6 MOT repair costs
The MOT-failure repair budget per test runs from £49.97 to £94.94, against £54.85 for the test itself.
bigger number = costs morepounds per test, MOT-failing faults only
| Component | Fails per 100 tests | Typical repair | Its price | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.4 (nat. 18.09) | Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid) | £140 | £17.36 |
| Suspension | 8.6 (nat. 15.36) | Suspension coil spring (single corner) | £180 | £15.48 |
| Tyres | 10.2 (nat. 8.7) | Tyre (single mid-range 16" fitted) | £90 | £9.18 |
| Brakes | 5.3 (nat. 11.25) | Front brake pads (parts + labour, typical hatchback) | £150 | £7.95 |
Multiply how often each component fails on this model by what that repair usually costs, and you get the amount an owner should expect to budget per test for MOT-failing faults only — roughly £50 to £95, on top of the test fee itself. It is a budgeting figure, not a quote: the spread between a set of pads and a set of discs is most of the range.
Prices are modal quotes from a hand-kept catalogue of published UK garage guides — we do not scrape the booking sites, their terms forbid it, so this list is short and updated by hand with a source and date against each line. Each line prices one typical repair in that group, not a full remedy, and only groups our catalogue actually covers are counted. The contrast worth noticing is the second card: the legal maximum for the test has been £54.85 since 2010, while the repairs it uncovers have followed inflation the whole time.
For scale from a different direction: Warrantywise, which sees used-car warranty claims rather than test failures, puts the average claim at £2,052 across the ten highest-claim models it ranks and £539 for Honda, the lowest-claim make in its index (Warrantywise index 2026, 1.6 million claims, cars aged 3–15). Those sit an order of magnitude above the figures in this table, and the gap is the point: a warranty claim is a gearbox or an engine, which almost never fails an MOT, while the faults that do fail one are corrosion, lamps and tyres, which no warranty pays for. The two numbers answer different questions and neither replaces the other.
Audi A6 running costs for a fleet
Vehicles failing at age 10 stand out at 20.0%, against 11.0% at age 5, tested in the same year.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Failure rate and typical odometer by age
| Age | Fails | Median odometer | Tests | Gap vs age 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9.68% | 30,165 | 4,825 | -1.1 pp |
| 4 | 8.96% | 39,164 | 3,628 | -1.9 pp |
| 5 | 10.82% | 49,555 | 8,880 | +0.0 pp |
| 6 | 12.73% | 58,278 | 8,243 | +1.9 pp |
| 7 | 14.49% | 70,835 | 9,430 | +3.7 pp |
| 8 | 15.99% | 81,668 | 13,249 | +5.2 pp |
| 9 | 17.19% | 93,310 | 11,272 | +6.4 pp |
| 10 | 20.22% | 102,980 | 10,694 | +9.4 pp |
| 11 | 20.73% | 111,888 | 10,438 | +9.9 pp |
| 12 | 22.12% | 123,087 | 8,060 | +11.3 pp |
| 13 | 27.66% | 132,255 | 6,916 | +16.8 pp |
| 14 | 30.21% | 142,000 | 6,641 | +19.4 pp |
| 15 | 31.44% | 149,572 | 4,306 | +20.6 pp |
| 16 | 34.35% | 153,596 | 5,621 | +23.5 pp |
| 17 | 33.95% | 159,793 | 5,505 | +23.1 pp |
| 18 | 36.14% | 163,031 | 3,229 | +25.3 pp |
| 19 | 36.33% | 161,142 | 1,789 | +25.5 pp |
The number a fleet manager needs is not the failure rate, it is the year the car starts costing more. Between cars aged 12 and cars aged 13, both tested in 2024, the failure rate of this model is 5.54 percentage points higher — the steepest one-year step in this cross-section of different cars, and a natural planning point for replacement.
Repair spend uses the same modal prices as the section above, so it inherits the same limits: one typical repair per component group, not a full remedy. Downtime is the gap between the failed test and the passed re-test, which is the window a vehicle is legally off the road.
Audi A6 rust problems: where they corrode
Age-standardised corrosion susceptibility is well below the reference at 0.6×, against 1.00× for the national age-standardised rate.
above 1.0× = rusts more than averagebelow 1.0× = rusts less
This Audi A6 fails on corrosion much less often than average once age is held constant, and its owners live in areas that are about typical for the models we publish. Both point the same way and reinforce each other: it resists corrosion even though its owners live in saltier areas than most.
Corrosion is the one failure mode that is as much about geography as about the car. We keep the two apart on purpose: a model can look rusty simply because it is popular in Scotland, and a model can look clean simply because it is bought in Surrey. Blending them into a single score would hide which of the two is doing the work.
Exposure is this model's tests weighted by an area corrosion index built from frost days, salt load and distance to the coast — the composite validated at r = 0.42 against corrosion defects we actually record. It is published as a rank, not a raw score, because every mainstream model skews towards low-corrosion areas for the simple reason that most of Britain's cars are in the south. Susceptibility is standardised to the national age profile, so an old fleet does not get labelled a rusty model.
Does an Audi A6 advisory become a failure?
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment are highest at 29.2%; Road wheels are lowest at 1.0% — the gap is 28.2 percentage points.
higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability
chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now
| Component | Fails next time | Typical lead time | Miles of warning | Advisories tracked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 29.2% | 12 months | 6,565 | 8,287 |
| Steering | 13.6% | 12.1 months | 6,742 | 2,871 |
| Suspension | 12.6% | 12.1 months | 7,225 | 78,594 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.1% | 12.1 months | 5,759 | 6,975 |
| Tyres | 9.4% | 12 months | 7,880 | 139,132 |
| Brakes | 6.8% | 12.1 months | 6,742 | 87,531 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.2% | 12.1 months | 6,106 | 14,867 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.8% | 12 months | 7,501 | 1,921 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 2.4% | 12.1 months | 7,791 | 13,625 |
| Road wheels | 1.0% | 12.2 months | 9,880 | 1,825 |
This is the question an advisory note actually raises, and it needs six years of test history to answer. We followed the same vehicles from one MOT to the next across 2019–2024 and measured how often a component that was merely advised came back as a genuine failure at the next test.
Read it as a budgeting horizon, not a prophecy: the most likely component above turns into a failure for about 29 in 100 cars, and the median gap is 12 months and roughly 6,565 miles. The rest were repaired, sold, scrapped, or simply held. Rows with fewer than 500 tracked advisories are not shown.
What will fail next on an Audi A6?
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment after a failure at age 15-19 are highest at 29.7%; Brakes after a passed at age <3 are lowest at 1.1% — the gap is 28.7 percentage points.
higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability
| Age | Last test | Most likely next failures | Cars tracked |
|---|---|---|---|
| <3 | passed | Tyres 5.0% · Visibility 3.3% · Brakes 1.1% | 25,154 |
| <3 | advisory | Tyres 6.5% · Visibility 4.9% · Brakes 1.8% | 8,356 |
| <3 | failure | Tyres 6.3% · Visibility 4.0% · Brakes 2.1% | 3,504 |
| 3-5 | passed | Tyres 5.1% · Visibility 3.4% · Brakes 1.3% | 96,964 |
| 3-5 | advisory | Tyres 6.8% · Visibility 4.8% · Brakes 2.0% | 40,022 |
| 3-5 | failure | Tyres 7.3% · Visibility 5.1% · Brakes 2.3% | 18,114 |
| 6-8 | passed | Tyres 5.4% · Visibility 4.0% · Suspension 3.3% | 83,645 |
| 6-8 | advisory | Tyres 7.7% · Visibility 6.4% · Suspension 4.6% | 44,958 |
| 6-8 | failure | Tyres 9.1% · Visibility 7.1% · Suspension 6.0% | 25,998 |
| 9-11 | passed | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.6% · Suspension 6.4% · Tyres 6.1% | 50,122 |
| 9-11 | advisory | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.1% · Suspension 9.3% · Tyres 8.5% | 36,116 |
| 9-11 | failure | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.2% · Suspension 11.2% · Tyres 10.1% | 29,267 |
| 12-14 | passed | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.9% · Suspension 8.0% · Tyres 6.0% | 31,130 |
| 12-14 | advisory | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 19.1% · Suspension 11.4% · Visibility 9.0% | 31,403 |
| 12-14 | failure | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 24.3% · Suspension 13.9% · Tyres 10.5% | 29,750 |
| 15-19 | passed | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.7% · Suspension 9.0% · Body, chassis, structure 8.3% | 13,714 |
| 15-19 | advisory | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 23.6% · Suspension 12.8% · Body, chassis, structure 11.2% | 17,496 |
| 15-19 | failure | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 29.7% · Suspension 16.8% · Body, chassis, structure 14.3% | 18,519 |
| 20+ | passed | Body, chassis, structure 12.6% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.1% · Suspension 8.2% | 1,465 |
| 20+ | advisory | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 20.6% · Body, chassis, structure 16.5% · Suspension 12.6% | 2,001 |
| 20+ | failure | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 26.6% · Body, chassis, structure 21.2% · Suspension 19.1% | 2,425 |
The same chains, cut differently: given a car's age and how its last test went, which component most often causes trouble at the following one.
The pattern that repeats across every family: a failure at one test roughly doubles the chance of a failure on the same component at the next one, and an advisory sits about half-way between a clean pass and a failure. Age bands in years; probabilities are per car, not per defect item.
Audi A6 ownership: what six years of MOTs show
The ten-day re-test pass rate is highest at 57.5%; The later re-test pass rate is lowest at 3.4% — the gap is 54.2 percentage points.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
Failing is usually a same-week event, not a disaster. Of 120,674 failures followed through to their re-test, 39.12% were repaired and passed the same day and 57.54% within ten days; the median gap is 1 day. 269,257 defect items were cleared in the process.
Per mile driven, not per year. Dividing failures by the miles that actually went onto the odometers between consecutive tests gives 0.246 failures per 10,000 miles, on a median of 7,526 miles a year across 149,341 chains. This is the number to compare between models — an annual rate quietly rewards cars that barely leave the drive.
Two populations hide inside one model. 41.31% of these cars strung together three or more tests with nothing recorded at all, while 24.72% carried the same advisory three times or more — the same fault, noted, ignored, noted again. When you buy used you are buying one of those two histories, and the MOT record shows which.
Odometer anomalies: 1.71% of 149,491 chains show a reading lower than the previous test, with a median drop of 55,482 miles. We call this an anomaly and not fraud on purpose — instrument swaps, imports, unit mix-ups and keying errors all land in the same bucket. Obvious typos (drops under 100 miles or over 90% of the reading) are already excluded.
Audi A6 safety recalls and how to check yours
DVSA recall campaigns stand out at 36.
bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone
recall campaigns launched per year
| Reference | Launched | Vehicles | Concern |
|---|---|---|---|
R/2025/508 | 14/11/2025 | 4 | Belt buckle rivet missing |
R/2025/463 | 24/10/2025 | 1,458 | Software update for battery control unit |
R/2025/426 | 30/09/2025 | 28 | Replacing front seat belt |
R/2025/387 | 08/08/2025 | 74 | Stop-drive TAKATA PSAN |
R/2024/495 | 09/12/2024 | 596 | Servicing high-voltage battery |
All 36 campaigns
| Reference | Launched | Build dates | Vehicles | Concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
R/2025/508 | 14/11/2025 | 24/03/2025 – 02/04/2025 | 4 | Belt buckle rivet missing |
R/2025/463 | 24/10/2025 | 26/02/2021 – 10/06/2024 | 1,458 | Software update for battery control unit |
R/2025/426 | 30/09/2025 | 11/07/2025 – 17/07/2025 | 28 | Replacing front seat belt |
R/2025/387 | 08/08/2025 | 27/07/2004 – 10/12/2010 | 74 | Stop-drive TAKATA PSAN |
R/2024/495 | 09/12/2024 | 19/03/2021 – 17/10/2022 | 596 | Servicing high-voltage battery |
R/2024/158 | 04/04/2024 | 10/03/2004 – 30/08/2011 | 74,226 | Replacing Takata passenger airbag |
R/2023/317 | 27/10/2023 | 04/07/2023 – 04/07/2023 | 5 | On certain vehicles an incorrect bracket for the side airbag was fitted in the left front |
R/2023/053 | 01/02/2023 | 18/05/2004 – 22/02/2010 | 39 | If a front airbag is deployed it is possible that the gas generator housing in which the p |
R/2023/027 | 20/01/2023 | 07/04/2018 – 06/10/2021 | 5,487 | The fuel gauge may not show the drop in fuel level correctly during vehicle operation |
R/2022/169 | 10/06/2022 | 23/01/2022 – 09/02/2022 | 109 | ENGINE CONTROL UNITS MIGHT BE FITTED WITH SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS THAT DO NOT MEET SPECIF |
R/2022/132 | 04/05/2022 | 10/05/2012 – 30/03/2017 | 4,690 | THE MESH SIZE OF THE OIL STRAINER IN THE OIL SUPPLY FOR BOTH TURBOCHARGERS IS TOO SMALL |
R/2022/036 | 14/02/2022 | 07/11/2019 – 20/02/2021 | 5,327 | FOLLOWING A PREVIOUS CAMPAIGN THE TOE AND/OR CAMBER VALUES ON THE REAR AXLE MAY IN CERTAIN |
R/2021/234 | 22/09/2021 | 14/04/1997 – 23/12/1999 | 57,169 | THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG MAY BE DELAYED OR INSUFFICIENTLY POWERFUL DUE TO A POT |
R/2021/330 | 22/09/2021 | 10/01/2000 – 13/08/2001 | 9,536 | FUNCTION OF THE DRIVER AIRBAG MIGHT BE RESTRICTED DUE TO ITS AGE |
R/2021/236 | 25/06/2021 | 07/11/2019 – 18/02/2021 | 10,089 | REAR AXLE SUSPENSION LINKS NUTS DO NOT MEET SPECIFICATIONS |
R/2021/117 | 26/03/2021 | 07/02/2018 – 14/12/2020 | 1,298 | THE FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG MIGHT NOT INFLATE FULLY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT |
R/2020/372 | 08/12/2020 | 01/07/2020 – 15/09/2020 | 31 | FAULTY CRASH SENSORS FOR AIRBAG/RESTRAINT SYSTEMS MAY HAVE BEEN FITTED IN BOTH OF THE FRON |
R/2020/265 | 02/10/2020 | 10/08/2018 – 11/03/2020 | 11,936 | MOISTURE MAY ENTER THE BELT DRIVEN STARTER-ALTERNATOR |
R/2020/138 | 30/06/2020 | 01/06/2017 – 31/03/2020 | 34,982 | MOISTURE MAY ENTER THE BELT-DRIVEN STARTER-ALTERNATOR |
R/2019/175 | 03/06/2019 | 02/12/2015 – 17/12/2018 | 135 | THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN THE HINGED TOWING BRACKET COULD BE FAULTY |
R/2019/099 | 18/03/2019 | 18/02/2014 – 02/09/2016 | 2,763 | FUEL MAY ESCAPE FROM ONE OR BOTH FUEL RAILS |
R/2019/060 | 22/02/2019 | 08/07/2014 – 31/10/2014 | 4,907 | THE AUXILIARY HEATER ELEMENT IN THE AIR CONDITIONER MAY FAIL |
R/2018/363 | 17/12/2018 | 16/07/2018 – 10/10/2018 | 59 | REAR FIXED GLASS LID BONDING MAY NOT MEET CORRECT SPECIFICATION |
R/2017/115 | 01/05/2017 | 01/05/2011 – 31/10/2016 | 2,844 | COOLANT PUMP MAY OVERHEAT |
R/2017/078 | 20/02/2017 | 01/05/2016 – 31/10/2016 | 2,622 | AIRBAG/BELT TENSIONERS MAY NOT TRIGGER IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT |
R/2015/031 | 20/04/2015 | 01/04/2011 – 30/04/2012 | 1,073 | FUEL MAY LEAK |
R/2014/098 | 01/10/2014 | 01/01/2012 – 27/08/2014 | 5,755 | REDUCTION IN BRAKING PERFORMANCE |
R/2012/014 | 12/12/2011 | 11 | CURTAIN AIRBAG MAY NOT INFLATE | |
R/2007/120 | 25/09/2007 | 01/06/2004 – 31/12/2005 | 8,468 | TAILGATE MAY CLOSE WITHOUT WARNING |
R/2007/120 | 25/09/2007 | 01/06/2004 – 31/07/2007 | 8,468 | TAILGATE MAY CLOSE WITHOUT WARNING |
R/2005/135 | 11/11/2005 | 01/02/2004 – 31/03/2005 | 5,767 | AIR BAGS MAY DEPLOY TOO LATE |
R/2002/143 | 26/10/2002 | 541 | AIRBAG MAY NOT DEPLOY | |
R/2002/112 | 01/08/2002 | 21/11/2001 – 26/11/2001 | 56 | BRAKE PEDAL BRACKET MAY CRACK |
R/1999/072 | 01/11/1999 | 01/03/1998 – 31/08/1998 | 38,307 | POTENTIAL PREMATURE WEAR OF STEERING BALL JOINTS |
R/1997/075 | 26/11/1997 | 01/01/1995 – 31/12/1996 | 50,523 | UNSCHEDULED DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVERS AIR BAG |
R/1997/049 | 28/06/1997 | 01/02/1997 – 31/03/1997 | 1,097 | FRONT SEAT BELT HEIGHT ADJUSTER |
DVSA lists 36 safety recall campaigns for the Audi A6, covering roughly 350,480 vehicles in total. A recall is the manufacturer fixing a fault for free, so an open recall on your car costs nothing to clear.
Counter-intuitive, and measured on our own data: across the 25 families published here, more recalls go with a lower MOT Risk Index (r = −0.52). Heavily recalled models are not worse cars in the test bay — an active manufacturer removes the fault before it becomes an MOT failure.
Check whether a specific car has an outstanding recall — free, by registration — at DVSA's recall service. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls (check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk), OGL.
Audi A6 technical service bulletins: what dealers are told
US market, Audi A6 and its variants, model years 2015–2021 only. A count of bulletins, not a UK failure rate.
NHTSA manufacturer communications are 2,896.
bigger number = more recorded dealer communicationsnot affected vehicles or confirmed faults
These are the issues the manufacturer fixes quietly: service communications sent to dealers without a public recall campaign. They show what the service network has been told even when the issue never became news.
United States · NHTSA manufacturer communications
| Communication year | Bulletins | Leading subjects across all years |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
|
| 2013 | 47 | |
| 2014 | 196 | |
| 2015 | 188 | |
| 2016 | 175 | |
| 2017 | 154 | |
| 2018 | 91 | |
| 2019 | 308 | |
| 2020 | 299 | |
| 2021 | 264 | |
| 2022 | 191 | |
| 2023 | 272 | |
| 2024 | 395 | |
| 2025 | 204 | |
| 2026 | 109 |
Caveat worth stating plainly: this is NHTSA data about US-specification cars. British cars sold under the same name often use different gearboxes, engines and equipment, so a bulletin may describe a component that was never fitted here. The file counts dealer communications, not affected vehicles or confirmed failures, and it cannot tell you whether an individual UK car has the issue. A communication can carry more than one subject tag, so topic counts do not have to add up to the total. Source: NHTSA Manufacturer Communications API (US-market vehicles; queried model years 2015-2022). Licence: U.S. Government work / public domain · retrieved 2026-09-25.
Audi A6 owner complaints: what goes wrong
US market, Audi A6 and its variants, model years 2015–2021 only. A count of owner complaints, not a UK failure rate; NHTSA has no UK denominator.
Lamps & electrical are highest at 139; Brakes are lowest at 13 — the gap is 126.
bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone
| Component | Complaints | Share | MOT fail items per 100 | MOT rank | Agreement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps & electrical | 139 | 51.9% | 12.4 | #1 | complained about and fails often |
| Engine (not MOT-tested) | 71 | 26.5% | not in top 6 | — | complained about, rarely an MOT failure |
| Transmission (not MOT-tested) | 26 | 9.7% | not in top 6 | — | complained about, rarely an MOT failure |
| Steering | 24 | 9.0% | not in top 6 | — | complained about, rarely an MOT failure |
| Restraints | 21 | 7.8% | not in top 6 | — | complained about, rarely an MOT failure |
| Brakes | 13 | 4.9% | 5.3 | #5 | complained about, fails occasionally |
Two different populations answering two different questions: the MOT records what an inspector can measure once a year, the complaint file records what annoyed or frightened an owner on the road. A component high in one column and absent from the other is the interesting case — driver-assistance and electronics dominate complaints while almost never appearing as an MOT failure item.
What the reports actually say
P2067 engine check code which shows faulty fuel sensor. Audi has recalled other year Audi a6 sedan vehicles with the same issue and this seems to be a safety issue as it can show incorrect fuel gauge and in the event of car out of fuel, engine can stall and can cause accident.
Coolant sprayed on engine components due to leaking Coolant /Water pump. Coolant level is falling below minimum level - Problem confirmed by the dealer 1. Water pump 2. Coolant sprayed onto engine components - potential fire hazard 3. Confirmed by dealer 4. Unknown 5, Umknown
US owners have filed 268 complaints about the equivalent Audi A6 to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 4 that mention a crash, 4 a fire and 5 an injury. These are owner reports, not verified findings — but they are the only large public record of what drivers themselves notice, and they cover the years between MOT tests.
Caveat worth stating plainly: US-specification cars, self-selected reporters, no denominator — complaint counts scale with how many cars were sold there and how motivated owners are to file. The mechanical gap matters as much as the statistical one: American cars of the same name often carry different gearboxes, engines and equipment — automatics where Britain buys manuals — so a drivetrain complaint filed in Ohio may describe a part that was never fitted here. Read the ranking inside a model, not between models, and treat drivetrain entries with particular caution. Source: NHTSA ODI consumer complaints (US market, public domain) — US-spec vehicles, indicative only.
Audi A6 inspection results in other countries
Netherlands APK is well below the reference at 43.2%, against 50.8% nationally.
higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points
| Country | Test | This model fails | National average | Position | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | MOT (class 4) | 20.9% | 26.01% | -5.1 pp | 126,603 |
| Netherlands | APK | 43.2% | 50.8% | -7.6 pp | 22,104 |
| Finland | Katsastus | 21.6% | 26.3% | -4.7 pp | 17,745 |
| Norway | PKK | 35% | 33.7% | +1.3 pp | 11,256 |
The countries disagree about this car, and that is worth saying out loud rather than averaging away. A model can sit above its national average in one country and below it in another because the fleets are not the same cars: different model years, different engines, different roads and salt, and inspection rules that weight components differently. Treat each row as evidence from one regime, not as a verdict.
| Code | Fault | Recorded | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
210 | Tyre pressure not at the correct value | 3,862 | failure |
205 | Tyre with insufficient tread | 2,794 | failure |
516 | Dipped headlight incorrectly aimed | 1,649 | failure |
AC1 | Tyre down to 1.6–2.5 mm of tread | 1,578 | advisory |
RA2 | Excessive leak of other fluids | 1,140 | advisory |
203 | Tyre damaged | 729 | failure |
AC5 | Mechanical brake parts showing wear | 644 | advisory |
497 | Number-plate light not working or missing | 504 | failure |
Worth dwelling on how mundane the top of that list is: tyre pressure, tread depth, headlight aim. The Dutch APK records 0.978 defects per inspection against a much higher national failure rate than Britain's, and the reason is not that Dutch cars are worse — it is that the two regimes draw the line between "note it" and "fail it" in different places. Codes are the RDW's own; the English wording here is our translation of the Dutch original.
Britain is not the only country that inspects every car every year, and the Audi A6 is on the road in all of them. Each national regime writes its own rules, so the pass rates below are not comparable to each other — what does travel across a border is whether a model sits above or below its own country's average.
Rows with fewer than 500 inspections are not published. Sources: RDW open data — Meldingen Keuringsinstantie + Geconstateerde Gebreken + Gekentekende voertuigen (2024), CC0. Not an RDW endorsement.; Traficom — Periodic inspections of cars by model / by model and fault object 2024, CC BY 4.0; Statens vegvesen — Periodisk kjøretøykontroll (PKK) 2024, CC BY 4.0. Adapted; licences and full notice.
Audi A6 MOT: quick answers
Audi A6 MOT Risk Index is well below the reference at 71.9, against 100 for a car with the same age profile.
below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age
- What is the Audi A6 first-time MOT pass rate?
- 79.1% of first attempts passed in 2024 (126,603 tests). This is the first-time figure: retests after repair are excluded. Basis: first-time, excluding retests.
- Why does this number differ from other sites?
- Other sites often report a pass rate that includes retests or counts all attempts. Our 20.9% figure is the first-time initial failure rate, using 126,603 primary tests as the denominator (first-time, excluding retests). The age-adjusted MOT initial-failure ratio 71.9 is shown separately because raw rates compare fleet age as well as cars.
Compare the Audi A6 with other cars
Audi TT is highest at 73.4; Land Rover Range Rover is lowest at 70.9 — the gap is 2.5 points.
below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age
Same brand
All Audi MOT statisticsAudi TT MOT statsAudi Q5 MOT stats
Similar risk
Land Rover Range Rover Sport (index 72.5)Land Rover Range Rover (index 70.9)Audi TT (index 73.4)
Same size class
how Audi A5 compareshow Toyota RAV4 compareshow Audi Q3 compares
By build year
Audi A6 1998Audi A6 1999Audi A6 2000Audi A6 2001Audi A6 2002Audi A6 2003Audi A6 2004Audi A6 2005Audi A6 2006Audi A6 2007Audi A6 2008Audi A6 2009Audi A6 2010Audi A6 2011Audi A6 2012Audi A6 2013Audi A6 2014Audi A6 2015Audi A6 2016Audi A6 2017Audi A6 2018Audi A6 2019Audi A6 2020
By area
Audi A6 MOT failure rate by postcode area
By failure group
Audi A6 body, chassis and structure failuresAudi A6 brakes failuresAudi A6 vehicle identification failuresAudi A6 lamps, reflectors and electrics failuresAudi A6 noise, emissions and leaks failuresAudi A6 road wheels failuresAudi A6 seat belts and airbags failuresAudi A6 steering failuresAudi A6 suspension failuresAudi A6 tyres failuresAudi A6 visibility failures
Inspections abroad
Audi A6 in NorwayAudi A6 in FinlandAudi A6 in the Netherlands
Data details & how to cite
Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dataset_release_id=dvsa-2024-v2, frozen baseline; headline claim_id=family-stats:audi-a6:dvsa-2024-v2. Full method: methodology.
Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Audi A6 MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; downloadable dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, doi:10.5281/zenodo.22975051). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/audi-a6/ · Published 2026-07-30.