Petrol Audi A8: MOT pass rate

86.8% of petrol Audi A8s pass the MOT first time, measured across 2,212 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 94,877.

Petrol against the other Audi A8 versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.

On the Audi A8 specifically, diesel is the strongest at 89.8%, and this petrol version sits 2.4 points below the 89.2% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The petrol Audi A8 fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average petrol Audi A8 had covered 94,877 miles at test, against 106,869 for the diesel. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Audi A8 page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a petrol Audi A8

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.1% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
2. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.9% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this defect)
3. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.6% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.2% of tests
5. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests
6. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.5% of tests
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.5% of tests
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.3% of tests
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.2% of tests
10. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.1% of tests

From 2,232 DVSA-tracked petrol Audi A8 tests, 2024, split out from the Audi A8's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 3.97% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a petrol Audi A8

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 1.3% of tests (2.24x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 21.1% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect), also fails
3. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 8.4% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
4. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 1.5% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 19.4% of tests, also fails
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 11.7% of tests, also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 9.5% of tests
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 4.7% of tests
9. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 3.4% of tests
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 3.3% of tests

From 2,232 DVSA-tracked petrol Audi A8 tests, 2024.

Other Audi A8 fuel types

• Diesel Audi A8 - 89.8%

All Audi A8 MOT data · Every model