Used car guide

2003 Audi A2: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the Audi A2 first registered in 2003: we looked at the 1,092 MOTs these cars had during 2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

1,092MOTs of 2003 cars, done in 2025
57%pass first time (all 2003 cars: 59%)
5,700typical miles a year
2.5×the usual rate for wheels

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2003 Audi A2?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2003 Audi A2 than on all cars registered in 2003.

  • Wheels2.5× usual
    Audi A2
    3.7% All 2003 cars
    1.5%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.4%, against 0.4% of all 2003 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    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.

Better than most

Brake pads: 2.9% here, against 6.5% of all 2003 cars. Sub-frame: 2.2% here, against 5.6% of all 2003 cars.

Common 2003 Audi A2 MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2003 Audi A2 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    45% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Brakes
    40% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    37% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Tyres
    31% of testsRough price £70–£150

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

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    18% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    13% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2003 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 wheels? (Flagged at MOT 2.5× as often on the 2003 Audi A2 as on other cars the same age.)
  2. 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, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Audi A2 compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2005863Suspension 44%
20041,391Suspension 44%
20021,319Suspension 49%
20011,016Suspension 53%
2000–Too few tests

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2025, counting the MOTs of Audi A2 cars first registered in 2003. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score