Audi A2: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Audi A2 fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 14.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 6,413 individual Audi A2 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 62.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 38 in every 100 Audi A2s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Audi A2 tested had covered 130,188 miles and was built around 2003.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Audi A2 sits 14.5 points below the national average, ranked 1,910 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Audi A2 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Audi A2: £175 at UK salvage auction, from 3 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Audi A2

1. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 3.8% of tests (7.28x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.6% of tests (4.82x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.6% of tests (4.45x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 4.8% of tests (3.71x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.1% of tests (3.31x the national rate for this defect)
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 7.5% of tests (3.18x the national rate for this defect)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.2% of tests (3.07x the national rate for this defect)
8. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.6% of tests (2.99x the national rate for this defect)
9. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 5.8% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
10. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.9% of tests (2.24x the national rate for this defect)

From 6,417 DVSA-tracked Audi A2 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.61% of these flagged Audi A2 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Audi A2

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Audi A2 before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 6.2% of tests (4.51x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 4.5% of tests (4.04x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 3.4% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 6% of tests (3.02x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 7.9% of tests (2.97x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 16.1% of tests (2.9x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 12.8% of tests (2.71x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 9.6% of tests (2.47x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 11.8% of tests (1.9x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 5.3% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this advisory)

From 6,417 DVSA-tracked Audi A2 tests, 2024.

Audi A2 pass rate by model year

From its 2001 to its 2005 model year, the Audi A2's first-time pass rate has risen 0.1 points, from 61.8% to 61.9%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Audi A2 year:

• 2001 Audi A2 - 61.8% first-time pass, 1,133 tests
• 2002 Audi A2 - 62.4% first-time pass, 1,484 tests
• 2003 Audi A2 - 63.8% first-time pass, 1,217 tests
• 2004 Audi A2 - 63% first-time pass, 1,482 tests
• 2005 Audi A2 - 61.9% first-time pass, 938 tests

Audi A2 by fuel type

The Audi A2's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.3 points: diesel passes first time 62.3% of the time (3,783 tests) against 63.6% for petrol (2,571 tests).

• Diesel Audi A2 - 62.3% first-time pass, 3,783 tests
• Petrol Audi A2 - 63.6% first-time pass, 2,571 tests

Other Audi models

• Audi A3 - 78.1%
• Audi A4 - 76.3%
• Audi A1 - 79.5%
• Audi A6 - 81.9%
• Audi A5 - 80.4%
• Audi Tt - 78.8%
• Audi Q3 - 83.5%
• Audi Q5 - 84.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mitsubishi L200 Double Cab - 62.3%
• Mazda Unclassified - 62.3%
• Skoda Felicia - 62.3%
• Hyundai Getz - 62.1%
• Fiat Grande Punto - 62.1%
• Rover 45 - 62.1%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate