Used Audi RS4 buying guide

In 2025, Audi RS4 cars passed 87.8% of 2,310 initial MOT tests, 15.5 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.

Looking at a specific RS4? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Audi RS4 MOT record in brief

Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.

87.8%

Audi RS4 pass rate

72.3%

UK average, all cars

+15.5

percentage points above average

Ranked on pass rate the RS4 sits 74th of 575 models in the data. Audi as a brand averaged 78.5%, so this model runs 9.3 points ahead of its own brand. Audi RS4 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 85.3%.

A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Audi RS4 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the RS4 compares with similar cars.

RS4 fuel types

Petrol was the most common fuel among Audi RS4 cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 0.1% of tests.

Where the RS4 fails its MOT

Where Audi RS4 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.

  • Tyres23.1%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment17.5%
  • Brakes16.5%
  • Suspension14.7%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks11.9%
  • Body, chassis, structure5.8%

The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has ply or cords exposed (6.1%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.8%) and ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.4%). See every common RS4 MOT failure.

These are DVSA failure records across every Audi RS4 that failed, not a claim that every RS4 has these problems.

What should you check when buying a used RS4?

The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.

1

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. 23.1% of RS4 failure items.

2

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. 17.5% of RS4 failure items.

3

Brakes

Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 16.5% of RS4 failure items.

4

Suspension

Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 14.7% of RS4 failure items.

5

Noise, emissions and leaks

Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 11.9% of RS4 failure items.

None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.

What the MOT record doesn't tell you

Knowing Audi RS4 failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.

Check the exact RS4 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Audi history check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

Used Audi RS4 FAQs

Is the Audi RS4 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 an 87.8% first-time pass rate for the Audi RS4 across 2,310 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Do older Audi RS4 cars fail their MOT more often?

Audi RS4 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.5% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 85.3%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.

What should I check before buying a used Audi RS4?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.

How do I check an Audi RS4'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.

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.