Audi RS6, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
5,657 Audi RS6s are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 88.9% of initial MOT tests, 16.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific RS6? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Audi RS6 at the MOT
88.9% of 2,186 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the RS6 53rd of 575 models. Audi RS6s aged 3 to 5 years passed 91.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 85.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Audi RS6 tests in 2025.
Where RS6s fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Audi RS6 tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (14.3%), condition has ply or cords exposed (12.1%) and registration plates does not conform to the specified requirements (7.7%).
The MOT page lists every common RS6 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The RS6's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.41.6% of RS6 failure items
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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.12.6% of RS6 failure items
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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.12.1% of RS6 failure items
Audi RS6s in the UK
5,657 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 181% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- +181%from 2,015 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 304against 777 in 2016
- Declared off the road
- 96915% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Audi RS6s since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 2,015 |
| End of 2015 | 2,629 |
| End of 2016 | 3,319 |
| End of 2017 | 3,770 |
| End of 2018 | 3,928 |
| End of 2019 | 3,767 |
| End of 2020 | 4,298 |
| End of 2021 | 4,674 |
| End of 2022 | 4,882 |
| End of 2023 | 5,175 |
| End of 2024 | 5,555 |
| End of 2025 | 5,702 |
| End of June 2026 | 5,657 |
How old they are
Licensed Audi RS6s by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 285 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 273 | 304 |
| 2024 | 448 | 498 |
| 2023 | 456 | 494 |
| 2022 | 364 | 457 |
| 2021 | 458 | 566 |
| 2020 | 573 | 712 |
| 2019 | 0 | 10 |
| 2018 | 192 | 264 |
| 2017 | 612 | 756 |
| 2016 | 586 | 777 |
| 2015 | 545 | 734 |
| 2014 | 399 | |
| 2013 | 115 | |
| 2012 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 43 | |
| 2009 | 148 | |
| 2008 | 152 | |
| 2007 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 |
545 RS6s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 74% of the 734 first registered that year.
RS6 engine sizes
4.0 litre engines made up 80% of Audi RS6 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 5.0 litre at 13%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed RS6s.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 2,186 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Audi RS6 recalls
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi RS6. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every RS6 is affected.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/427
Checking high-pressure pump
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the high-pressure fuel pumps may not be correctly secured which may lead to a fuel leak.
- Remedy
- Check the high-pressure pumps bolted connections. If incorrectly bolted the high-pressure pump (including the fuel lines) will be replaced.
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Mar 2025 R/2025/092
Replacing front passenger airbag
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On some Audi A6 and A7 vehicles manufactured within a specific period the front passenger airbag installed may show signs of damage in transit. As a result in the event of an accident in which the front passenger airbag is triggered its restraining effect will be hindered.
- Remedy
- The front passenger airbag unit must be replaced on the affected vehicles.
-
Dec 2020 R/2020/372
Faulty crash sensors for airbag/restraint systems may have been fitted in both of the front doors
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Faulty crash sensors for airbag / restraint systems may have been fitted in both of the front doors.
- Remedy
- The crash sensors for the side airbags (front) must be checked on the vehicles affected and replaced if necessary.
-
Oct 2013 R/2013/112
Fuel line may have become damage and could cause a fuel leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to manufacturing tolerance the fuel line may become damaged in individual cases and within a specific manufacturing period. In the worst case this can cause leakage.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles within the range quoted and replace the fuel line
Audi RS6 FAQs
How many Audi RS6s are there in the UK?
5,657 Audi RS6s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 969 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Audi RS6 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 88.9% first-time pass rate for the Audi RS6 across 2,186 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Audi RS6 had any recalls?
4 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Audi RS6. The most recent was published in September 2025. 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 RS6?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, noise, emissions and leaks and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. 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 RS6'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 RS6?
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.