At a Glance
The Audi A2 has 12 identified common problems across 1 generation, with the 8Z (1999-2005) being the most affected generation and brakes the most common problem category. Based on 274K MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Audi A2 common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Audi A2 generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Audi A2 Generations
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Most Common Audi A2 MOT Failures
Every reason Audi A2 vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre condition | 8.95% |
| 2 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 7.84% |
| 3 | Brake performance below minimum | 7.70% |
| 4 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 7.46% |
| 5 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 6.13% |
| 6 | Stop lamp not working | 6.06% |
| 7 | Number plate lamp not working | 5.39% |
| 8 | Driveshaft fault | 4.77% |
| 9 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.79% |
| 10 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 3.58% |
| 11 | Headlamp aim defect | 3.25% |
| 12 | Brake disc or drum worn | 2.46% |
| 13 | Ball joint dust cover split | 2.36% |
| 14 | Track rod end worn | 2.20% |
| 15 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 2.09% |
| 16 | Front lamp not working | 2.00% |
| 17 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.50% |
| 18 | Headlamp fault | 1.46% |
| 19 | Brake pads or linings worn | 1.42% |
| 20 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.32% |
| 21 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 1.22% |
| 22 | Exhaust system fault | 1.12% |
| 23 | ABS fault | 1.08% |
| 24 | Position lamp not working | 1.05% |
| 25 | Parking brake condition | 0.91% |
| 26 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.82% |
| 27 | Indicator fault | 0.80% |
| 28 | Airbag warning light on | 0.74% |
| 29 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.61% |
| 30 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 0.55% |
| 31 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.54% |
| 32 | Rear lamp not working | 0.50% |
| 33 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.45% |
| 34 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.40% |
| 35 | Steering rack fault | 0.39% |
| 36 | Front suspension fault | 0.37% |
| 37 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.35% |
| 38 | Horn not working | 0.33% |
| 39 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.31% |
| 40 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.31% |
| 41 | Seat belt condition | 0.29% |
| 42 | Brake lever fault | 0.29% |
| 43 | Fog lamp not working | 0.26% |
| 44 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.26% |
| 45 | Rear suspension fault | 0.26% |
| 46 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.24% |
| 47 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.21% |
| 48 | Brake fluid leak | 0.20% |
| 49 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.18% |
| 50 | Electrical switch fault | 0.18% |
| 51 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.15% |
| 52 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.15% |
| 53 | Engine oil leak | 0.14% |
| 54 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.14% |
| 55 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.14% |
| 56 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.13% |
| 57 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.11% |
| 58 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.11% |
| 59 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.10% |
| 60 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.10% |
| 61 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.09% |
| 62 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.08% |
| 63 | Steering operation fault | 0.08% |
| 64 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.07% |
| 65 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.07% |
| 66 | Steering arm worn | 0.06% |
| 67 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.06% |
| 68 | Brake caliper fault | 0.06% |
| 69 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.06% |
| 70 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.06% |
| 71 | Propshaft fault | 0.05% |
| 72 | Brake pedal fault | 0.05% |
| 73 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.05% |
| 74 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.05% |
| 75 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.05% |
| 76 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.05% |
| 77 | Driver airbag fault | 0.05% |
| 78 | Passenger seat fault | 0.04% |
| 79 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.04% |
| 80 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.04% |
| 81 | Steering free play excessive | 0.04% |
| 82 | Driver door fault | 0.03% |
| 83 | Power steering ram fault | 0.03% |
| 84 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 85 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.03% |
| 86 | Electric power steering fault | 0.03% |
| 87 | Front passenger door fault | 0.02% |
| 88 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 89 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.02% |
| 90 | Exhaust leak | 0.02% |
| 91 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | 0.02% |
| 92 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.02% |
| 93 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.02% |
| 94 | Body security fault | 0.02% |
| 95 | Steering lock fault | 0.01% |
| 96 | Suspension unit fault | 0.01% |
| 97 | Electronic braking system fault | 0.01% |
| 98 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.01% |
| 99 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.01% |
| 100 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.01% |
| 101 | Brake servo fault | 0.01% |
| 102 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | 0.01% |
| 103 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | 0.01% |
| 104 | Hydraulic fluid leak | 0.01% |
| 105 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.01% |
| 106 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 107 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | <0.01% |
| 108 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 109 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 110 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 111 | Chassis condition | <0.01% |
| 112 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 113 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 114 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 116 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 117 | CV joint worn | <0.01% |
| 118 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | <0.01% |
| 120 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 121 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 122 | Driver seat fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 124 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 126 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 127 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 129 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 132 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 133 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 134 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 136 | Spring mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 137 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 138 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 139 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 140 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 141 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 142 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 143 | Reversing lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 144 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 148 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 149 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 150 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Chain drive fault | <0.01% |
| 155 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 156 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 159 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 160 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 161 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 162 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 163 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 164 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | <0.01% |
| 165 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 166 | Vehicle structure corrosion | <0.01% |
| 167 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 168 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 169 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
Showing all 169 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Audi A2 MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Audi A2, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Audi A2 problems?
Based on analysis of 274K Audi A2 MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 12 identified common problems across 1 generation. The most frequently flagged issue is "Catalytic converter efficiency low". Brakes is the most common problem category.
Which Audi A2 generation has the most problems?
The Audi A2 8Z (1999-2005) (1999–2005) has the highest number of identified common problems (16). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Audi A2?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Audi A2 owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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