90.9%
Audi SQ5 pass rate
Used Audi SQ5 buying guide
In 2025, Audi SQ5 cars passed 90.9% of 2,128 initial MOT tests, 18.6 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific SQ5? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Audi SQ5 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+18.6
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the SQ5 sits 27th of 575 models in the data. Audi as a brand averaged 78.5%, so this model runs 12.4 points ahead of its own brand. Audi SQ5 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 93.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 80.1%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Audi SQ5 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the SQ5 compares with similar cars.
SQ5 fuel types
Diesel made up 97.7% of Audi SQ5 MOT tests in 2025, against 39.3% across all models in this data. Almost every used example you look at will be a diesel.
Where the SQ5 fails its MOT
Where Audi SQ5 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (11.4%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (9.2%) and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (8%). See every common SQ5 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Audi SQ5 that failed, not a claim that every SQ5 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used SQ5?
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. 34.1% of SQ5 failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 19.6% of SQ5 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. 12.9% of SQ5 failure items.
4
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. 11.4% of SQ5 failure items.
5
Identification of the vehicle
Match the number plates and VIN to the V5C logbook, and check the plates are legal. 6.8% of SQ5 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 SQ5 failures cluster around tyres and suspension 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 SQ5 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
Other used Audi models
The most-tested Audi models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the SQ5.
Used Audi SQ5 FAQs
Is the Audi SQ5 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 90.9% first-time pass rate for the Audi SQ5 across 2,128 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Audi SQ5 cars fail their MOT more often?
Audi SQ5 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 93.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 80.1%. 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 SQ5?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension 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 SQ5'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.