HowreliableUsed car reliability from every MOT

CarsAudi Q5

MOT results · tests in 2025 · Great Britain

Audi Q5 reliability: what the MOT shows

117,646 Q5s had an MOT in 2025. 83.7% passed first time, against 75.2% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 8.5 points better than comparable cars.

83.7%passed first time

+8.5points against cars of the same age and mileage

1.3×as many body and structure failures as comparable cars

Report card

Audi Q5 MOT results by registration year

Each dot compares how often Q5s of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.

Much betterBetterAbout the sameWorseMuch worse

Year	Passed first time	Against same age and mileage	MOTs
2009	66.6%	+11.4	3,541
2010	68.8%	+12.1	3,447
2011	71.6%	+12.7	5,254
2012	74.9%	+13.9	4,439
2013	77.1%	+13.9	6,006
2014	79.7%	+13.4	8,536
2015	81.9%	+12.1	10,357
2016	82.7%	+9.7	11,158
2017	82.4%	+5.5	9,955
2018	86.6%	+6.7	13,091
2019	89.2%	+6.7	11,966
2020	90.7%	+5.5	8,766
2021	90.8%	+3.9	11,398
2022	92.7%	+4.5	9,578

Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.

Audi Q5 years to avoid, going by the MOT

Ahead2009 to 2022+3.9 to +13.9 ptsMost common failures: joints (constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt) in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016; pins and bushes (pin or bush excessively worn) in 2013 and 2014; coil spring (fractured or broken) in 2017 and 2018; condition (has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords) in 2019, 2020 and 2022; tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm in 2021. 117,492 MOTs.

Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.

What fails

Audi Q5 common faults at the MOT

3.0% of Q5 MOTs failed on body and structure, against 2.2% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 2.0% on emissions and leaks, against 2.5%.

Most common failures

Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.4%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.0%

Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1.7%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.0%

Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1.7%Cars of the same age and mileage: 2.3%

Coil spring: fractured or broken1.6%Cars of the same age and mileage: 2.1%

Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.5%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.5%

Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1.2%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.9%

Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1.2%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.7%

Headlamp aim: too low0.9%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.0%

Q5Same age and mileage

Fails more often than other cars

Headlamp levelling device: inoperative5.2×0.52% of Q5 MOTs (616) against 0.10% for cars of the same age and mileage

Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.3×2.39% of Q5 MOTs (2,816) against 1.05% for cars of the same age and mileage

Registration plates: does not conform to the specified requirements1.8×0.26% of Q5 MOTs (302) against 0.14% for cars of the same age and mileage

Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1.7×1.15% of Q5 MOTs (1,356) against 0.67% for cars of the same age and mileage

Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1.7×1.74% of Q5 MOTs (2,051) against 1.04% for cars of the same age and mileage

Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator1.6×0.30% of Q5 MOTs (351) against 0.19% for cars of the same age and mileage

Mileage

Ahead at every mileage

Q5s pass more often than cars of the same age and mileage at every mileage, by 2.8 to 12.7 points. The gap is widest at 90–120k miles.

Q5, first-time pass rateCars of the same age and mileage

Petrol, diesel or hybrid Q5

Diesels passed 82.0% first time, 9.4 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 87.6%, 6.5 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 77,985 miles at the test, against 45,668 for petrols. Hybrids are mostly newer cars (median 38,624 miles), so compare them with care.

Fuel	MOTs	Passed first time	Same age and mileage	Gap (pts)	Median miles
Diesel	85,459	82.0%	72.6%	+9.4	77,985
Petrol	26,848	87.6%	81.1%	+6.5	45,668
Hybrid	5,320	90.8%	86.0%	+4.9	38,624

Against rivals

Q5 against other premium SUVs

Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Q5 ranks 2 of 18.

Model	MOTs	Passed first time	Same age and mileage	Gap (pts)
1. Range Rover	39,880	85.2%	76.5%	+8.7
2. Audi Q5	85,227	85.7%	77.9%	+7.8
3. Range Rover Sport	75,077	84.2%	77.2%	+7.0
4. Land Rover Discovery	67,572	82.7%	76.4%	+6.3
5. Jaguar I-Pace	17,780	91.1%	85.4%	+5.8
6. BMW X1	82,175	84.9%	79.3%	+5.7
7. Range Rover Evoque	148,573	83.4%	78.1%	+5.2
8. BMW X3	72,125	84.4%	79.2%	+5.2
9. Audi Q3	110,455	83.4%	78.2%	+5.1
10. Volvo XC60	90,526	81.8%	76.8%	+5.0
11. Volvo XC90	40,591	83.5%	78.5%	+5.0
12. Volvo XC40	71,168	89.6%	85.4%	+4.1
13. Jaguar F-Pace	53,345	84.6%	80.5%	+4.1
14. Land Rover Defender	26,707	84.0%	80.4%	+3.6
15. Jaguar E-Pace	31,252	87.1%	83.6%	+3.5
16. Land Rover Discovery Sport	109,161	81.0%	77.7%	+3.2
17. Mercedes GLA	86,403	82.8%	80.2%	+2.6
18. Range Rover Velar	32,716	84.3%	82.2%	+2.1

Check these before you buy a used Q5

What testers most often noted as advisories on Q5s in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge15% (17%)
Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement10% (5%)
Brake pads: wearing thin10% (8%)
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened4% (8%)
Condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing4% (8%)
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively3% (3%)
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge2% (2%)
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread2% (2%)

Questions about Q5 reliability

Is the Audi Q5 reliable?

At the MOT, 83.7% of 117,646 Q5 MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 75.2% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2009 to 2022: ahead (+3.9 to +13.9 points).

Which Audi Q5 years should I avoid?

None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Q5?

Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt: 2.4% of Q5 MOTs, against 1.0% for cars of the same age and mileage.

Is a diesel or petrol Q5 more reliable?

Petrol Q5s passed 87.6% first time and diesels 82.0%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 6.5 points above and diesels 9.4 points above.

Is the Q5 more reliable than the Range Rover Evoque?

For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Range Rover Evoque passed 83.4% first time, +5.2 points against comparable cars. The Q5 passed 85.7%, +7.8 points.

How we measure

Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.

Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.

Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Q5's mix of ages and mileages.

Model. Every car DVSA records as a Audi Q5: 29 recorded model names, from "Q5" to trims such as "Q5 S LINE 40 TDI MHEV QUAT S-A".

The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.