Audi A7 reliability by year, 2011 to 2021
49,348 Audi A7s went through an MOT in the period we analysed, and 84.4% passed. Set against the 71.7% national pass rate, that is a good result on the raw numbers. Allowing for age, the A7 beats a typical car tested at the same age by 10.1 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model well above average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 88% of A7s pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. Top of the failure list: tyre tread below the legal minimum, on 16.9% of failed tests.
The A7's weak points
Of every hundred A7s that fail, about 17 are marked down for tyre tread below the legal minimum and 11 for a tyre worn or cut to the cords. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Tread is the one item a driver can check at home with a 20p coin: if the outer band of the coin shows above the tread, the tyre is close to the 1.6mm limit.
What testers flag before it fails
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the A7 the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (15.2% of tests) and brake pads worn below 1.5mm (6.7%). The advisory conversion table shows which of these are worth acting on first.
Petrol, diesel or hybrid A7?
Among Audi A7 cars, petrol versions pass 89.1% of the time and diesel versions 83.9%, a gap of 5.2 points. Diesels tend to be bought for high mileage, which shows up at the test as wear.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 83.9% | 43,644 |
| Petrol | 89.1% | 2,379 |
Every A7 year, 2011 to 2021
Between 2011 (80%) and 2021 (88.7%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2015 is the strongest at 84.9% and 2013 the weakest at 81.3%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A7 2021 | 88.7% | 1,393 | 10,661 | 88.5% |
| Audi A7 2020 | 88.4% | 1,933 | 9,273 | 87.5% |
| Audi A7 2019 | 88.4% | 4,316 | 9,919 | – |
| Audi A7 2018 | 88.1% | 4,127 | 9,467 | – |
| Audi A7 2017 | 86.1% | 4,906 | 9,508 | – |
| Audi A7 2016 | 84.2% | 6,997 | 9,521 | – |
| Audi A7 2015 | 84.9% | 5,985 | 9,374 | – |
| Audi A7 2014 | 82.7% | 5,680 | 9,330 | – |
| Audi A7 2013 | 81.3% | 5,655 | 9,503 | – |
| Audi A7 2012 | 82.2% | 3,768 | 9,676 | – |
| Audi A7 2011 | 80% | 4,588 | 9,207 | – |
How mileage changes the A7's odds
On the 2016 cars, a A7 under 40,000 miles passes 89.2% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 83.4%. When comparing two used A7s, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2016 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.2% | 510 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85% | 1,598 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.9% | 2,181 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.3% | 1,504 |
| Over 100,000 | 83.4% | 1,204 |
Compared with other cars
Set against the rest of the Audi range, which averages 78.1%, the A7 at 84.4% is above par. Within the family, see Audi A3 reliability (75.2%), Audi A4 reliability (72.8%), how the A1 does (77.2%) and the Q3 (83.3%), or Audi reliability by model. Buyers weighing a A7 against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Peugeot 508 (70.9%) and BMW 2 Series (86.4%). The reliability index for all makes and models puts them side by side, and the UK pass rates by age and fuel give the baseline.
Year by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Audi A7 2021 88.7% pass 1,393 tests88.5% at first MOT
On a 2021 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 27.2% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 20.3%.
2021 cars pass 90.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 93.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.9% | 917 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.9% | 336 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 87.1% | 93 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 75% | 32 |
| Over 100,000 | 93.3% | 15 |
Audi A7 2020 88.4% pass 1,933 tests87.5% at first MOT
On a 2020 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 28.9% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 17.3%.
2020 cars pass 89.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 92.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.6% | 1,250 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.8% | 485 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 85.5% | 145 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 90% | 40 |
| Over 100,000 | 92.3% | 13 |
Audi A7 2019 88.4% pass 4,316 tests
On a 2019 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 25.6% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 16.4%.
2019 cars pass 89.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 85.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.3% | 1,640 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.4% | 1,498 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 89.2% | 779 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 88.3% | 264 |
| Over 100,000 | 85.2% | 135 |
Audi A7 2018 88.1% pass 4,127 tests
On a 2018 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 17.6% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13.9%.
2018 cars pass 89.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 82.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.1% | 996 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 88.9% | 1,508 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 87.5% | 1,038 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 86.8% | 425 |
| Over 100,000 | 82.5% | 160 |
By fuel: diesel 87.1% (3,308 tests), petrol 92.4% (815 tests).
Audi A7 2017 86.1% pass 4,906 tests
On a 2017 Audi A7, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 14.8% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13.2%.
2017 cars pass 86.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 85.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 86.3% | 615 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.8% | 1,573 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 85.4% | 1,544 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 86.3% | 702 |
| Over 100,000 | 85.4% | 472 |
Audi A7 2016 84.2% pass 6,997 tests
On a 2016 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 13.6% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13%.
2016 cars pass 89.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 83.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.2% | 510 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85% | 1,598 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.9% | 2,181 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.3% | 1,504 |
| Over 100,000 | 83.4% | 1,204 |
By fuel: diesel 83.9% (6,229 tests), petrol 87% (768 tests).
Audi A7 2015 84.9% pass 5,985 tests
On a 2015 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 13.6% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13%.
2015 cars pass 90.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 82.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.4% | 282 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86% | 967 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 85.7% | 1,655 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 84.8% | 1,475 |
| Over 100,000 | 82.5% | 1,606 |
By fuel: diesel 84.5% (5,189 tests), petrol 87.6% (796 tests).
Audi A7 2014 82.7% pass 5,680 tests
On a 2014 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 14.3% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13.3%.
2014 cars pass 92.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 81.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 92.9% | 168 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.2% | 596 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.8% | 1,258 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.6% | 1,550 |
| Over 100,000 | 81.4% | 2,107 |
Audi A7 2013 81.3% pass 5,655 tests
On a 2013 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 16.5% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 12.5%.
2013 cars pass 87.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.8% | 74 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.8% | 340 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.1% | 908 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.2% | 1,391 |
| Over 100,000 | 80.5% | 2,942 |
Audi A7 2012 82.2% pass 3,768 tests
On a 2012 Audi A7, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 16.7% of failed tests, with a worn suspension bush next at 11.5%.
2012 cars pass 89.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 81.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.7% | 39 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.2% | 123 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 86.4% | 405 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.4% | 740 |
| Over 100,000 | 81.7% | 2,461 |
Audi A7 2011 80% pass 4,588 tests
On a 2011 Audi A7, a broken coil spring appears on 18.3% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 17.6%.
2011 cars pass 93.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 79.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 93.8% | 32 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 84.9% | 139 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.2% | 398 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 79.5% | 810 |
| Over 100,000 | 79.2% | 3,209 |
Questions people ask
Is the Audi A7 reliable?
On MOT evidence the Audi A7 is well above average. It passes 84.4% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 10.1 points. 88% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 49,348 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Audi A7 MOT failures?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum (16.9% of failed tests), a tyre worn or cut to the cords (11%) and a tyre worn or cut to the cords (10.2%). Tread is the one item a driver can check at home with a 20p coin: if the outer band of the coin shows above the tread, the tyre is close to the 1.6mm limit.
Which Audi A7 year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2015 cars have the highest pass rate at 84.9% and 2013 cars the lowest at 81.3%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Audi A7 usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 15.2% of all A7 tests, then brake pads worn below 1.5mm (6.7%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Audi A7 do?
About 9,513 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is above the UK average of roughly 7,400, which is typical of a car bought for commuting or work.
How do I check a particular Audi A7?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Own a A7?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 9,513 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.