Used car guide · 2015–2024

Audi A4 B9: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Audi A4 B9 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 90,869 MOT tests.

2016best year: 79% pass first time, 4 points above all 2016 cars
2018weakest year: 80% pass first time, 1 points below all 2018 cars
Coil springsthe weak spot that shows up in 9 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Audi A4 B9, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

60%80%100%2015: 74% pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%) 74% 2015*2016: 79% pass first time (all 2016 cars: 75%) 79% 20162017: 79% pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%) 79% 20172018: 80% pass first time (all 2018 cars: 81%) 80% 20182019: 84% pass first time (all 2019 cars: 84%) 84% 20192020: 87% pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%) 87% 2020
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
2015*74%72% +2Suspension arm bushes and joints 2.2× usual16,061
201679%75% +4Suspension arm bushes and joints 2.1× usual21,704
201779%78% +1Suspension arm bushes and joints 2.6× usual21,037
201880%81% -1Suspension arm bushes and joints 3.1× usual13,510
201984%84% +0Coil springs 46× usual12,714
202087%86% +1Coil springs 58× usual5,843

Weak spots across the Audi A4 B9

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Coil springsup to 58× usual

    Stands out in 9 years: 2020, 2019, 2019, 2018, 2018, 2017, 2017, 2016, 2016.

    Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Look behind each wheel for a snapped spring coil, and listen for a clunk or twang when turning the wheel lock to lock with the car stopped.

  • Suspension arm bushes and jointsup to 3.1× usual

    Stands out in 3 years: 2018, 2017, 2016.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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