Audi S5 MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the Audi S5 took 1,767 MOT tests in Britain and passed 81% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 1,767
First-time pass rate: 81%
All cars: 71%

What the S5 fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Tyres7.6% (all cars 6.4%)
Suspension4.5% (all cars 9.0%)
Lights and electrics4.5% (all cars 11.3%)
Exhaust and emissions2.8% (all cars 3.1%)
Brakes2.4% (all cars 6.8%)
Visibility1.7% (all cars 4.8%)
Body and structure1.2% (all cars 3.5%)
Number plates and VIN0.9% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 2.2%
Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.9%
Coil spring: fractured or broken 1.8%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction 1.5%
Tyres, condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 1.5%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.5%
Headlamp aim: too low 1.3%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn 1.3%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 16.0%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 10.0%
Brake pads: wearing thin 7.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 5.3%
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 4.6%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 4.1%
Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil 4.0%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened 2.5%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	27,525 miles
10 years	73,538 miles
11 years	77,525 miles
12 years	78,804 miles
13 years	91,169 miles
14 years	96,599 miles
15 years	99,247 miles
16 years	104,438 miles

Check a particular S5

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other Audi models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.