Audi R8, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
3,553 Audi R8s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 91% of initial MOT tests, 18.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific R8? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Audi R8 at the MOT
91% of 3,813 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the R8 24th of 575 models. Audi R8s aged 3 to 5 years passed 94.1% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 88.3%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Audi R8 tests in 2025.
Where R8s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Audi R8 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were rear fog lamp not working (14.1%), shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (12.2%) and registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements (6.9%).
The MOT page lists every common R8 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The R8's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.24.3% of R8 failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.1% of R8 failure items
-
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.16.4% of R8 failure items
Audi R8s in the UK
3,553 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 37% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +37%from 2,597 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 1against 409 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 78318% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Audi R8s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 2,597 |
| End of 2015 | 2,791 |
| End of 2016 | 3,047 |
| End of 2017 | 3,219 |
| End of 2018 | 3,457 |
| End of 2019 | 3,470 |
| End of 2020 | 3,423 |
| End of 2021 | 3,379 |
| End of 2022 | 3,302 |
| End of 2023 | 3,231 |
| End of 2024 | 3,172 |
| End of 2025 | 3,126 |
| End of June 2026 | 3,553 |
How old they are
Licensed Audi R8s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 97 | 115 |
| 2023 | 77 | 99 |
| 2022 | 43 | 57 |
| 2021 | 80 | 128 |
| 2020 | 104 | 143 |
| 2019 | 125 | 159 |
| 2018 | 232 | 302 |
| 2017 | 275 | 364 |
| 2016 | 269 | 409 |
| 2015 | 144 | 241 |
| 2014 | 186 | |
| 2013 | 178 | |
| 2012 | 114 | |
| 2011 | 197 | |
| 2010 | 230 | |
| 2009 | 205 | |
| 2008 | 359 | |
| 2007 | 169 |
R8 engine sizes
5.2 litre engines made up 64% of Audi R8 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 4.2 litre at 36%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed R8s.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 3,813 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Audi R8 recalls
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi R8. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every R8 is affected.
-
Feb 2026 R/2026/089
Replacing Takata driver airbag
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The safety of our customers and the reliability and long-term service life of our models represent our top priority. For this reason Audi conducts programmes to constantly monitor the quality of its products.Extensive analyses have found that the gas generator housing for your vehicle's front airbag may in extremely rare cases be overloaded and even burst when the front airbag is triggered. If this were to happen small metal parts could become dislodged from the housing and potentially cause life-threatening injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- As a precautionary safety measure it is necessary to replace the airbag unit. The work required will take approximately two hours and will of course be performed free of charge. Please note for organisational reasons the Audi Centre may require your vehicle for longer they will advise you of this at the point of booking.
-
Feb 2023 R/2023/054
If a front airbag is deployed it is possible that the gas generator housing in which the propellant is generated may burst on vehicles manufactured within a limited period
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- As a precautionary safety measure it is necessary to replace the airbag unit on the driver side.
-
Oct 2022 R/2023/123
The airbag gas generator on the passenger side of an affected vehicle could burst in the event of an accident in which the airbag is triggered
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Replace the front passenger airbag unit.
-
Apr 2022 R/2022/129
The level of oil in the gearbox may be insufficient
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- The gear oil level on the affected vehicles must be checked and topped up if necessary.
-
Sep 2018 R/2018/255
Possible oil leakage may occur at the gearbox breather
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- it is possible that oil leakage may occur at the gearbox breather when the vehicle is being driven on a racetrack and extreme driving manoeuvres are being undertaken. As a result smoke may be produced and a vehicle fire cannot be ruled out.
- Remedy
- On the vehicles affected the single breather pipe for the gearbox breather system must be replaced by a dual breather pipe.
-
Aug 2011 R/2011/100
Fuel may leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Fuel hose may come into contact with the heat shield. This could cause damage to the fuel hose in isolated cases can lead to fuel leaks.
- Remedy
- Inspection of fuel hose and replace if necessary.
Audi R8 FAQs
How many Audi R8s are there in the UK?
3,553 Audi R8s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 783 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Audi R8 reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 91% first-time pass rate for the Audi R8 across 3,813 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Audi R8 had any recalls?
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi R8. The most recent was published in February 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Audi R8?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check an Audi R8's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an R8?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Audi history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Audi VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.