Audi A4 years to avoid: 2017, 2018, 2019

Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial

Inspect most carefully: 2017, 2018, 2019. Strongest in the data: 2011 or 2012. The ranking uses 719,019 MOT test records across 20 qualifying registration-year cohorts in the 2023–2025 DVSA test extracts and compares each cohort with all UK cars of the same age. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Same-vehicle follow-up for common certificate lines on this model is further down: how often the same item failed the next year, and how often the car was not tested again. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.8-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every A4 year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2011 Strong 106.0 +6.0 pts 75.1% 40,807
2 2012 Strong 105.7 +5.7 pts 77.0% 39,888
3 2010 105.6 +5.6 pts 72.9% 38,587
4 2008 105.1 +5.1 pts 70.2% 45,320
5 2007 105.1 +5.1 pts 70.2% 44,714
6 2009 105.1 +5.1 pts 71.5% 37,963
7 2006 104.7 +4.7 pts 69.2% 38,466
8 2013 104.5 +4.5 pts 77.9% 47,511
9 2005 104.4 +4.4 pts 68.9% 22,713
10 2004 103.2 +3.2 pts 67.5% 19,594
11 2003 102.6 +2.6 pts 67.6% 11,458
12 2014 102.4 +2.4 pts 78.3% 50,017
13 2001 101.6 +1.6 pts 68.1% 2,760
14 2002 100.9 +0.9 pts 66.5% 6,064
15 2015 100.8 +0.8 pts 79.5% 48,644
16 2016 100.4 +0.4 pts 81.8% 65,415
17 2020 99.5 -0.5 pts 89.4% 17,679
18 2017 Inspect 99.4 -0.6 pts 83.4% 62,938
19 2019 Inspect 98.9 -1.1 pts 87.3% 38,252
20 2018 Inspect 98.4 -1.6 pts 84.8% 40,229

Why 2017 and 2018 and 2019 rank lower

The 2017 cohort passes 83.4% of tests (-0.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 65,817 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2019 cohort passes 87.3% of tests (-1.1 points versus same-age cars) at a median 43,844 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2018 cohort passes 84.8% of tests (-1.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 52,900 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

What happened next on this model

Year rankings are age-adjusted pass rates. The figures below are a same-vehicle follow-up for certificate lines that appear often enough on this model (at least 200 cars). They are not a repair quote and they do not isolate a turbo, DSG, or clutch part.

National rankings for the not-retested gap: cars not tested again. Repair-hold rates: repairs that did not hold.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2017 example beats a neglected 2011 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (3.8 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which A4 years should I avoid?

Based on 719,019 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2017, 2018, 2019 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best A4 year to buy used?

2011 and 2012 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the A4 reliable overall?

Across 719,019 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 102.9 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

What data is required before a years-to-avoid guide is published?

We publish a guide only when a model has at least five registration-year cohorts old enough for a routine first MOT, each based on at least 1,500 Class 4 initial MOT tests pooled across the stated DVSA extract years, and at least 60,000 tests across those cohorts. From the models that pass those gates, this release includes the 220 models with the largest pooled samples. Retests are excluded.

How are the Strong and Inspect labels assigned?

Strong considers only the two highest-ranked registration-year cohorts and labels either one that is within 1.5 index points of the best. Inspect considers only the three lowest-ranked cohorts and labels a year only when its index is no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are MOT test records, not unique vehicles.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Pass rate uses DVSA result codes (P + PRS) ÷ (P + PRS + F): passes and passes after rectification at the test divided by those outcomes plus failures. Class 4 initial-test records only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 records per registration-year cohort. “Strong” considers the top two cohorts within 1.5 index points of the best. “Inspect” considers only the bottom three cohorts, then requires an index no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.