All generations and engines together · 16,597 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 71k
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 7,024 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
Owners report harsh, slamming gearchanges when re-accelerating, often starting around third gear, and full mechatronic unit failures needing a new ECU, mechatronics pack and clutch pack. It has turned up anywhere from well under 50k miles to past it, and one failure was tied to a dealer never renewing the S-tronic fluid on schedule. Repairs range from around £1,000 for a fluid change and adaptation reset up to £10,000 for a full unit replacement. No TSB or recall found for it.
A handful of 3.0 BiTDI owners report coolant turning up mixed into the sump oil, traced to hairline cracks in the block or head, showing up from around 47k miles. The fix is a new engine, quoted anywhere from £6,000 to £22,400, sometimes rising past £15,000 for a full replacement. Audi hasn't confirmed it as a design fault and it doesn't hit every car, but it's turned up on more than one separate 3.0 BiTDI, so it's worth flagging on an out-of-warranty V6 diesel.
The 3.0 V6 TDI diesel A7 was caught up in the VW Group emissions scandal: around 127,000 UK cars were recalled in January 2018 over what was described as an unacceptable shut-off device, with a further 60,000 recalled in May 2018 after excessive NOx was measured in normal driving, deliveries of the V6 diesel paused while it was sorted. The fix is a free software update at a dealer. It only touches the 3.0 V6 TDI, not the petrol or four-cylinder diesel A7s, so check the recall was actually carried out rather than just logged as due.
Reviews and owners both flag the ride as the A7's weak point rather than the smooth cruiser you'd expect: Honest John's own review notes S line cars on their lowered sports suspension feel noticeably stiffer, and Parkers lists a fidgety ride on standard suspension as one of the model's downsides. Separately, owners report suspension damage after impacts, one case running to £5,000 in wheel and suspension repairs after a steering fault. The measured MOT data for this shape backs suspension as the standout weak point, though it doesn't say whether it's springs, dampers, bushes or the optional air suspension actually wearing, so a knock or clunk on the test drive counts for more than any guess at which part.
A small number of owners report electric power steering trouble, from a steering rack needing replacement around 50k miles for about £2,600, to a car where the steering froze twice with no fault found by the dealer. It isn't a high volume of reports, but a steering fault is safety-relevant and the repair isn't cheap, so it's worth a proper check on the drive.
Owners occasionally report the panoramic sunroof glass cracking or shattering with no obvious impact, one case blamed on hitting a pothole while running large 21-inch wheels, costing around £6,000 to put right. Whether that's a manufacturing weakness or just stone chips and road shock finding a weak point in tempered glass is genuinely argued over, and there isn't enough of a pattern to call it either way. Worth checking your glass cover regardless.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Coupés, convertibles & GT), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.