Know Your MOT
34.8%fail rate

Audi 100 common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Audi 100 fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 55,669 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Audi 100 in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 50.9% of the Audi 100's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, exhaust & emissions, other. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes50.9% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical32.0% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Exhaust & emissions30.0% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Other27.4% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Suspension22.9% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Visibility/wipers21.0% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

198334.6% fail · 341 tests
198433.1% fail · 483 tests
198532.1% fail · 745 tests
198634.8% fail · 1,141 tests
198734.4% fail · 1,734 tests
198832.6% fail · 2,707 tests
198936.1% fail · 3,986 tests
199033.2% fail · 3,820 tests
199134.1% fail · 5,068 tests
199237.0% fail · 10,243 tests
199335.6% fail · 11,694 tests
199434.8% fail · 11,956 tests
199526.6% fail · 139 tests
200816.9% fail · 302 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Audi 100 brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Audi 100 brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Audi 100 brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Audi 100 headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Audi 100 headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Audi 100 headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Audi 100 exhaustSearch Amazon for Audi 100 exhaustaffiliate searchFind Audi 100 exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Audi 100 suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Audi 100 suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Audi 100 suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Audi 100 wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Audi 100 wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Audi 100 wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Audi A3 MOT failures21.7% failure rateAudi A4 MOT failures23.8% failure rateAudi A6 MOT failures21.4% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain