Used car guide · 2000–2005

Audi A2 common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Audi A2, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 19,388 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

19,388MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model
7,592on the UK register

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

200520042003200220012000

What usually goes wrong with an Audi A2?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Audi A2 in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Audi A2 MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

  • Brakes pulling to one side

    up to 2.4× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

    Rough price £100–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: On a quiet road, brake firmly from about 30mph. The car should stop straight without pulling.

  • Suspension arm

    up to 2.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

    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.

  • Shock absorbers

    up to 2.1× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Individual direction indicators

    up to 2× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

  • Ball joint dust cover

    up to 3.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2001 and 2002.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Wheels

    up to 2.3× usual

    Stands out on cars registered in 2003 and 2004.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Audi A2 MOT pass rate by year

Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

YearPass first timeAll cars that yearMOT tests
200557%57% +02,827
200457%57% +04,546
200356%57% -13,727
200255%58% -34,534
200155%60% -53,502
200063%61% +2252 (small sample)

Questions to ask the seller before buying an Audi A2

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

  1. Any recent work on the brakes pulling to one side? (Flagged at MOT 2.4× as often on the Audi A2 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. Any recent work on the suspension arm? (Flagged at MOT 2.3× as often on the Audi A2 as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the shock absorbers? (Flagged at MOT 2.1× as often on the Audi A2 as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at an Audi A2?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score