MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Audi Cabriolet — MOT statistics 2024

The Audi Cabriolet failed 33.47% of 992 first MOT attempts in 2024 ("first-time", excluding retests). Adjusted for the age of the fleet, its initial-failure ratio is 92.2 (100 = expected for its age profile). This car is too close to call — statistically indistinguishable from normal for its age. Small sample — treat with care.

MOT risk index 92.2, 95% CI 84.3–100.4 (100 = national average) 100 92.2 0 200
Index
92.2
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
33.47%
n = 992
Dangerous /100
11
national ≈11
Rank
368 of 761
lower index = better

Age-adjusted peer: Honda Prelude (index 92.3) — the two published results are 0.1 index points apart.

Audi Cabriolet common problems: what actually fails the MOT

Noise, emissions and leaks stand out at 15.1 per 100 tests, against 9.2 per 100 tests across UK vehicles of the same ages.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

Audi Cabriolet common problems: what actually fails the MOT — 2024 UK MOT data

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.

GroupThis familyCases behind itUK, same agesFamily / national
Lamps & electrical30.12,43532.50.93×0.89–0.96
Suspension21.11,71025.60.82×0.78–0.86
Body & structure19.11,54616.01.20×1.14–1.26
Brakes18.41,49122.20.83×0.79–0.87
Emissions & leaks15.11,2209.21.65×1.55–1.74
Visibility10.887612.00.90×0.84–0.97
Named defects — items per 100 initial tests, this family vs UK national average; this model measured on 8,095 tests, 2019-2024, national column 2024
What failedper 100 tests (this family)per 100 tests (UK average)ratio family / UKWhat to check
Emissions levels exceed default limitsEmissions levels exceed default limits5.730.4712.30×Watch for smoke on a cold start — emissions failures are costly
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated6.201.484.19×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely d
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.991.563.84×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or
Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively wornA suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.714.871.79×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's…Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits3.500.2315.28×Watch for smoke on a cold start — emissions failures are costly
Suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer…A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc3.151.781.77×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Suspension joint dust cover severely deterioratedA suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated3.171.901.67×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn joints show up on the test
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the…Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen3.202.221.44×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view
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 sources3.552.831.25×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Tyre seriously damagedA tyre seriously damaged3.092.541.22×Check tyre tread depth across the full width

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Audi Cabriolet MOT advisories: what gets flagged

Suspension is highest at 61.8 per 100 tests; Body & structure are lowest at 10.8 per 100 tests — the gap is 51.0 per 100 tests.

higher bar = flagged more oftenadvisory items per 100 initial tests

Audi Cabriolet MOT advisories: what gets flagged — 2024 UK MOT data
Advisory rates table
GroupAdvisories per 100
Suspension61.8
Brakes53.8
Tyres32.9
Emissions & leaks12.2
Non-component advisories10.9
Body & structure10.8

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

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 testFails next yearVehicles followed
It failed33.4%649
It passed30.7%3,007

A failed test does not clearly change next year's odds here (33.4% against 30.7%): the difference is within the margin of error. The failure most likely to come back is steering — 36.2% 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 7,421 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 forIndexReading
Age only101.5fails more often than expected
Age and annual mileage97.8fails less often than vehicles driven as much
Share doing under 3,000 miles a year13.0%a normal spread of use

Mileage changes little here (-3.7 points): this fleet is driven about as much as the vehicles it is compared with. 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 Cabriolet 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.

AgeAudi CabrioletSame class, same ageDifferenceTests
19 years39.93%37.44%+2.49 pp288
20 years42.56%36.95%+5.6 pp477

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 Cabriolet perform as it gets older?

The Cabriolet at age 20 is well below the reference at 29.9%, against 41.0% for all vehicles of the same age.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

How does the Audi Cabriolet perform as it gets older? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart axes: car age, years · failure-rate scale 0–47%.

Takeaway: solid line: this family; dashed: all cars.

Data table
AgeAudi CabrioletAll vehiclesGap
2029.9%41.0%-11.1 pp

How dangerous are Audi Cabriolet MOT failures?

Major defects stand out at 92.5 per 100 tests, against 52.8 per 100 tests nationally.

higher bar = fails more oftenrate per 100 tests

How dangerous are Audi Cabriolet MOT failures? — 2024 UK MOT data
Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100Family / national
Minor27.1314.221.91×
Major92.4552.751.75×
Dangerous11.2011.151.00×

Chart values: Minor 27.1 · Major 92.5 · Dangerous 11.2.

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 Cabriolet MOT matter?

Jan is highest at 43.9%; May is lowest at 35.7% — the gap is 8.2 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Does the month of an Audi Cabriolet MOT matter? — 2024 UK MOT data

Chart scale: 27%–45%.

bars: Audi Cabriolet · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthAudi CabrioletAll vehiclesGap
Jan43.92%31.12%+12.8 pp
Feb39.76%29.99%+9.8 pp
Mar38.24%28.26%+10.0 pp
Apr36.47%29.78%+6.7 pp
May35.71%28.79%+6.9 pp
Jun36%28.15%+7.9 pp
Jul36.5%29.33%+7.2 pp
Aug37.26%29.2%+8.1 pp
Sep37.85%28.19%+9.7 pp
Oct38.57%30.34%+8.2 pp
Nov41.16%30.58%+10.6 pp
Dec37.59%29.33%+8.3 pp

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 8.2 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. 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 Cabriolet average mileage by age

At age 20+, the middle half of Cabriolets runs from 79,602 miles to 124,088 miles, against 104,921 miles as the median.

further right = more milesmedian is the typical car; band is p25–p75

Does high mileage mean more Audi Cabriolet MOT failures at the same age?

Within the same age group, split by odometer (2024 MOTs), so this separates wear from age: at ages 15+, 27.8% of those with 40,000–70,000 miles failed first time versus 36.7% of those with 100,000–140,000 miles.No clear mileage gap inside this age group, among cars still being tested.

Does high mileage mean more Audi Cabriolet MOT failures at the same age? — 2024 UK MOT data
Audi Cabriolet: first-time failure by mileage within each age group (2024)
AgeOdometer% failing95% intervalTests
15+40-70k miles27.8%17.6–40.9%54 (rough estimate)
15+70-100k miles26.2%18–36.5%84 (rough estimate)
15+100-140k miles36.7%28.9–45.3%128 (rough estimate)

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
20+79,602104,921124,088234

A typical 20+-year-old Cabriolet has ~104,921 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

Where in Britain the Audi Cabriolet fails its MOT most

Exeter area is highest at 55.9%; Sheffield area is lowest at 24.4% — the gap is 31.5 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Toughest areas% failingvs model overall
Exeter (EX)55.86%+18.1 pp
Plymouth (PL)50%+12.2 pp
Redhill (RH)47.86%+10.1 pp
Portsmouth (PO)47.76%+10.0 pp
Southampton (SO)47.41%+9.6 pp
Easiest areas% failingvs model overall
Sheffield (S)24.38%-13.4 pp
Birmingham (B)24.42%-13.4 pp

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.

How many miles does an Audi Cabriolet last?

100,000+ miles is highest at 55.7%; 150,000+ miles is lowest at 10.1% — the gap is 45.6 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

OdometerTests ≥ thresholdShare of sample
100,000+ miles4,50155.68%
150,000+ miles81610.09%

Of 8,084 tests of this family with a usable odometer in 2024, 55.7% had reached 100k miles, 10.1% had reached 150k miles. This is a cross-section of cars still presenting for MOT, not a full birth cohort.

Audi Cabriolet faults that come together

Emissions & leaks + Seatbelts & SRS stand out at 3.93×, against 1.00× if the faults were independent.

above 1.0× = more than expectedbelow 1.0× = less

Group AGroup BTogetherLift
Noise, emissions and leaksSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems483.93× (rough estimate)
BrakesSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems493.85× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems723.39× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSteering213.3× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsVisibility353.29× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsTyres203.26× (rough estimate)
BrakesNoise, emissions and leaks2472.88× (rough estimate)
TyresVisibility1002.77× (rough estimate)
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systemsSuspension472.76× (rough estimate)
BrakesTyres1192.75× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentVisibility3342.68× (rough estimate)
BrakesSuspension3142.62× (rough estimate)
SuspensionTyres1492.57× (rough estimate)
BrakesLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3742.51× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureBrakes3172.5× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSeat belts and supplementary restraint systems452.5× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksSteering1052.44× (rough estimate)
BrakesVisibility1822.43× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentNoise, emissions and leaks3472.42× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksVisibility1722.4× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentTyres1722.39× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaks2892.38× (rough estimate)
SteeringSuspension1422.37× (rough estimate)
BrakesSteering1042.32× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSuspension4602.3× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksSuspension2642.29× (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentSteering1712.29× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureTyres1362.22× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSteering1402.21× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureSuspension3732.2× (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksTyres902.17× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4532.14× (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureVisibility2242.12× (rough estimate)
SuspensionVisibility2072.07× (rough estimate)
SteeringTyres431.99× (rough estimate)
SteeringVisibility721.92× (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment18too few (rough estimate)
BrakesIdentification of the vehicle14too few (rough estimate)
Body, chassis, structureIdentification of the vehicle14too few (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleNoise, emissions and leaks13too few (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleSuspension13too few (rough estimate)
BrakesRoad Wheels9too few (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleTyres8too few (rough estimate)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentRoad Wheels7too few (rough estimate)
Identification of the vehicleVisibility7too few (rough estimate)
Road WheelsSuspension6too few (rough estimate)
Noise, emissions and leaksRoad Wheels5too few (rough estimate)

Defects in «Noise, emissions and leaks» and «Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems» appear together 3.93× more often than chance (48 co-occurrences in the same test; 78 pairs compared).

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).

Audi Cabriolet MOT repair costs

The MOT-failure repair budget per test runs from £137.92 to £262.05, against £54.85 for the test itself.

bigger number = costs morepounds per test, MOT-failing faults only

MOT repairs, budget
£138–262
per test, repairs only
The test itself
£54.85
statutory cap, unchanged since 2010
How the figure is built: chance of failing × typical price of that repair
ComponentFails per 100 testsTypical repairIts priceContribution
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment30.1 (nat. 18.09)Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid)£140£42.14
Suspension21.1 (nat. 15.36)Suspension coil spring (single corner)£180£37.98
Noise, emissions and leaks15.1 (nat. 3.67)Exhaust rear silencer£200£30.20
Brakes18.4 (nat. 11.25)Front brake pads (parts + labour, typical hatchback)£150£27.60

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 £138 to £262, 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 Cabriolet rust problems: where they corrode

Salt-belt exposure stands out at 56th percentile, against 50th percentile as the middle of published models.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

How it rusts
—
not enough tests to publish
Salt Belt exposure
56th
percentile among the models published here, from its tests across 0 postcode areas

This Audi Cabriolet has too few tests to judge for corrosion once age is held constant, and its owners live in areas that are about typical for the models we publish.

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 Cabriolet advisory become a failure?

Body, chassis, structure are highest at 19.4%; Non-component advisories are lowest at 0.0% — the gap is 19.4 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now

Audi Cabriolet chance the same component fails at the next MOT, given an advisory now — 2024 UK MOT data
Audi Cabriolet, advisory → failure conversion by component group, chained tests 2019–2024. Chart labels and rates: Body & chassis 19.4% · Noise, emissions, leaks 15.8% · Suspension 15.4% · Brakes 13.3% · Tyres 8.2% · Non-component 0%.
Advisory today → failure at the next test, with how long you have
ComponentFails next timeTypical lead timeMiles of warningAdvisories tracked
Body, chassis, structure19.4%12.2 months1,124525
Noise, emissions and leaks15.8%12 months1,490666
Suspension15.4%12.2 months1,6801,854
Brakes13.3%12.2 months1,2671,618
Tyres8.2%12 months1,7311,177
Non-component advisories0.0%——600

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 19 in 100 cars, and the median gap is 12.2 months and roughly 1,124 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 Cabriolet?

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment after a failure at age 20+ are highest at 22.6%; Suspension after a passed at age 20+ is lowest at 9.3% — the gap is 13.3 percentage points.

higher = more likelypercentage is the observed transition probability

Probability of each component failing at the next test, by age and last result
AgeLast testMost likely next failuresCars tracked
9-11passedSuspension 11.4%70 (rough estimate)
9-11failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 17.0% · Brakes 13.2% · Suspension 9.4%53 (rough estimate)
12-14passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 15.5% · Suspension 11.9% · Tyres 10.7%84 (rough estimate)
12-14advisoryLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 18.6% · Suspension 17.1% · Tyres 14.3%70 (rough estimate)
12-14failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 18.2% · Brakes 13.6% · Suspension 13.6%66 (rough estimate)
15-19passedLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 12.2% · Body, chassis, structure 11.7% · Suspension 11.2%188 (rough estimate)
15-19advisorySuspension 16.3% · Visibility 14.4% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.7%153 (rough estimate)
15-19failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 20.8% · Suspension 18.1% · Body, chassis, structure 16.7%221 (rough estimate)
20+passedBody, chassis, structure 11.6% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 11.2% · Suspension 9.3%1,530
20+advisoryBody, chassis, structure 16.3% · Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 16.2% · Suspension 13.4%1,549
20+failureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 22.6% · Body, chassis, structure 17.3% · Noise, emissions and leaks 14.4%1,886

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 Cabriolet ownership: what six years of MOTs show

The ten-day re-test pass rate is highest at 70.4%; The later re-test pass rate is lowest at 8.3% — the gap is 62.1 percentage points.

higher = larger sharecompare shares in percentage points

Fixed same day
21.27%
of failures re-tested
Fails /10k miles
1.681
miles actually driven
Clean streaks
24.35%
3+ tests, nothing noted
Odometer anomaly
2.661%
reading went backwards

Failing is usually a same-week event, not a disaster. Of 2,036 failures followed through to their re-test, 21.27% were repaired and passed the same day and 70.43% within ten days; the median gap is 2 days. 5,819 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 1.681 failures per 10,000 miles, on a median of 943 miles a year across 1,732 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. 24.35% of these cars strung together three or more tests with nothing recorded at all, while 42.16% 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: 2.661% of 1,766 chains show a reading lower than the previous test, with a median drop of 19,332 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 Cabriolet safety recalls and how to check yours

DVSA recall campaigns stand out at 6.

bigger number = more recorded casescompare like-for-like scope, not sample size alone

recall campaigns launched per year

Audi Cabriolet recall campaigns launched per year — 2024 UK MOT data
Campaigns launched per year for the Audi Cabriolet. Source: DVSA vehicle safety recalls. Chart values: 2010: 0 · 2011: 0 · 2012: 0 · 2013: 0 · 2014: 0 · 2015: 0 · 2016: 0 · 2017: 0 · 2018: 2 · 2019: 0 · 2020: 0 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 0 · 2023: 0 · 2024: 1.
Most recent safety recall campaigns for the Audi Cabriolet
ReferenceLaunchedVehiclesConcern
R/2024/31213/08/202440Replacing TAKATA driver airbag
R/2021/33022/09/20219,536FUNCTION OF THE DRIVER AIRBAG MIGHT BE RESTRICTED DUE TO ITS AGE
R/2021/23422/09/202157,169THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG MAY BE DELAYED OR INSUFFICIENTLY POWERFUL DUE TO A POT
R/2018/05119/02/2018114,287AUXILLIARY HEATER ELEMENT IN AIR CONDITIONING MAY FAIL AND/OR OVERHEAT
R/2017/33408/01/201833,699AUXILLIARY HEATER ELEMENT IN AIR CONDITIONING MAY FAIL AND/OR OVERHEAT
All 6 campaigns
ReferenceLaunchedBuild datesVehiclesConcern
R/2024/31213/08/202413/02/2006 – 14/01/200940Replacing TAKATA driver airbag
R/2021/33022/09/202110/01/2000 – 13/08/20019,536FUNCTION OF THE DRIVER AIRBAG MIGHT BE RESTRICTED DUE TO ITS AGE
R/2021/23422/09/202114/04/1997 – 23/12/199957,169THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG MAY BE DELAYED OR INSUFFICIENTLY POWERFUL DUE TO A POT
R/2018/05119/02/201801/04/2011 – 31/07/2015114,287AUXILLIARY HEATER ELEMENT IN AIR CONDITIONING MAY FAIL AND/OR OVERHEAT
R/2017/33408/01/201801/04/2011 – 31/07/201533,699AUXILLIARY HEATER ELEMENT IN AIR CONDITIONING MAY FAIL AND/OR OVERHEAT
R/2005/04210/05/200501/01/2002 – 01/02/20041,075POSSIBILITY THAT HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESS MAY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE.

DVSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns for the Audi Cabriolet, covering roughly 215,806 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 Cabriolet MOT: quick answers

Audi Cabriolet MOT Risk Index is well below the reference at 92.2, 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 Cabriolet first-time MOT pass rate?
66.53% of first attempts passed in 2024 (992 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 33.47% figure is the first-time initial failure rate, using 992 primary tests as the denominator (first-time, excluding retests). The age-adjusted MOT initial-failure ratio 92.2 is shown separately because raw rates compare fleet age as well as cars.

Compare the Audi Cabriolet with other cars

Peugeot 205 is highest at 92.3; Audi Cabriolet is lowest at 92.2 — the gap is 0.1 points.

below 100 is betterabove 100 is worse100 = normal for this model at that age

Same brand

All Audi MOT statisticsAudi A1 MOT statsAudi 80 MOT stats

Similar risk

Honda Prelude (index 92.3)Nissan Pixo (index 92.3)Peugeot 205 (index 92.3)

Same size class

how Porsche 718 compareshow Lamborghini Huracan compareshow Honda Prelude compares

By area

Audi Cabriolet MOT failure rate by postcode area

By failure group

Audi Cabriolet body, chassis and structure failuresAudi Cabriolet brakes failuresAudi Cabriolet vehicle identification failuresAudi Cabriolet lamps, reflectors and electrics failuresAudi Cabriolet noise, emissions and leaks failuresAudi Cabriolet seat belts and airbags failuresAudi Cabriolet steering failuresAudi Cabriolet suspension failuresAudi Cabriolet tyres failuresAudi Cabriolet visibility failures


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-cabriolet:dvsa-2024-v2. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Audi Cabriolet 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-cabriolet/ · Published 2026-07-30.