Audi Cabriolet: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Audi Cabriolet fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 5.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,003 individual Audi Cabriolet tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 71.2% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -5.5 points |
| Tests analysed | 1,003 |
| Average mileage at test | 105,399 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 1998 |
| Reliability rank | 1,730 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 71.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 29 in every 100 Audi Cabriolets 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 Cabriolet tested had covered 105,399 miles and was built around 1998.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Audi Cabriolet bought as a 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 Cabriolet 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 what damaged Audi Cabriolets actually sold for at UK salvage auction.
Most common MOT failures on a Audi Cabriolet
- Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 3.6% of tests (16.24x the national rate for this defect)
- Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.4% of tests (11.48x the national rate for this defect)
- A wheel bearing with excessive play, 1.3% of tests (9.93x the national rate for this defect)
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 1.7% of tests (4.35x the national rate for this defect)
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.5% of tests (3.15x the national rate for this defect)
- A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.5% of tests (2.99x the national rate for this defect)
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.3% of tests (1.88x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.9% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.4% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this defect)
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 4.9% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this defect)
From 2,325 DVSA-tracked Audi Cabriolet tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.96% of these flagged Audi Cabriolet defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
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
- Audi 80 - 71.4%
- SEAT Ibiza - 71.3%
- Hyundai Santa Fe - 71.3%
- Ssangyong Korando - 71%
- BMW 523 - 71%
- Smart (Mcc) Fortwo Coupe - 70.9%
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
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