Audi A7 common problems and MOT failures
What goes wrong on a used Audi A7, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 50,487 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.
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).
2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010
What usually goes wrong with an Audi A7?
We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Audi A7 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 A7 MOT failures to check
Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, for each fuel on its own. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.
Diesel
Coil springs
up to 50× usualStands out on cars registered in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Rough price £175–£400 (pair, one axle) ClickMechanicAt 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.
Audi A7 MOT pass rate by year
Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2012 Audi A7 did best (82% passed first time, 18 points above all 2012 cars) and the 2020 did worst (88%, 1 point above all 2020 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.
| Year | Pass first time | All cars that year | MOT tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 89% | 89% +0 | 490 (small sample) |
| 2021 | 89% | 87% +2 | 1,389 |
| 2020 | 88% | 87% +1 | 1,949 |
| 2019 | 88% | 85% +3 | 4,338 |
| 2018 | 88% | 83% +5 | 4,160 |
| 2017 | 86% | 80% +6 | 4,930 |
| 2016 | 84% | 77% +7 | 7,045 |
| 2015 | 85% | 74% +11 | 6,021 |
| 2014 | 83% | 70% +13 | 5,709 |
| 2013 | 81% | 67% +14 | 5,686 |
| 2012 | 82% | 64% +18 | 3,793 |
| 2011 | 80% | 62% +18 | 4,619 |
| 2010 | 79% | 60% +19 | 358 (small sample) |
Questions to ask the seller before buying an Audi A7
Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.
- Any recent work on the coil springs? (Flagged at MOT 42× as often on the Audi A7 as on other cars the same age.)
- Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?
Looking at an Audi A7?
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