MOT comparison

Audi A4 B8 vs BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93

How the Audi A4 B8 (2008–2016) and the BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93 (5th Gen) (2005–2012) do at their MOTs, compared at the same mileage so a high-mileage car is never measured against a low-mileage one.

Audi A4 B8

1,599,600

MOT tests compared · built 2008–2016

Passes more often in 16 of 16 mileage bands

BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93 (5th Gen)

4,179,734

MOT tests compared · built 2005–2012

Passes more often in 0 of 16 mileage bands

MOT pass rate by mileage

Share of MOTs passed first time, at the mileage recorded at the test.

Audi A4 B8 BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93

Under 10,000 miles 94.5% vs 91.6%

3,692 and 17,604 MOTs

10,000–20,000 miles 92.0% vs 89.6%

26,075 and 100,806 MOTs

20,000–30,000 miles 90.3% vs 86.3%

75,449 and 211,037 MOTs

30,000–40,000 miles 88.8% vs 85.3%

112,903 and 278,175 MOTs

40,000–50,000 miles 86.7% vs 82.9%

130,997 and 311,922 MOTs

50,000–60,000 miles 84.3% vs 80.2%

139,891 and 331,306 MOTs

60,000–70,000 miles 81.8% vs 77.9%

142,293 and 341,365 MOTs

70,000–80,000 miles 79.3% vs 75.6%

141,004 and 346,784 MOTs

80,000–90,000 miles 76.9% vs 73.4%

134,748 and 340,655 MOTs

90,000–100,000 miles 75.4% vs 71.4%

124,418 and 324,860 MOTs

100,000–125,000 miles 72.8% vs 68.7%

249,948 and 677,066 MOTs

125,000–150,000 miles 70.7% vs 65.9%

162,856 and 456,225 MOTs

150,000–175,000 miles 68.9% vs 64.0%

88,749 and 254,136 MOTs

175,000–200,000 miles 67.7% vs 62.7%

41,292 and 116,721 MOTs

200,000–250,000 miles 66.5% vs 62.0%

22,201 and 61,754 MOTs

250,000–300,000 miles 65.8% vs 61.1%

3,084 and 9,318 MOTs

Parts that fail more often

Only differences that hold across at least half of the mileage bands we could compare, and that are far too large to be chance, are listed. How we decide

Audi A4 B8 fails more often on

Front drive shaft

Fails over 20 times as often as the BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93: 2.5% of MOTs against 0.00%.

In 10 of 16 mileage bands
Rear coil spring

Fails about 3 times as often as the BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93: 1.5% of MOTs against 0.45%.

In 8 of 16 mileage bands · Springs & Shocks

BMW 3 Series E90/E91/E92/E93 fails more often on

Exhaust emissions

Fails about 8 times as often as the Audi A4 B8: 0.90% of MOTs against 0.13%.

In 15 of 16 mileage bands · Exhaust & Emissions
Windscreen washer

Fails about twice as often as the Audi A4 B8: 1.8% of MOTs against 0.87%.

In 14 of 16 mileage bands · Driver's View

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Check a car's MOT Compare the Audi A4 B8 with another model

These are differences in real MOT results, not engineering verdicts. Owner mix differs between models (some are more often taxis, first cars or rural cars), which is why every figure compares cars at the same mileage. How we compare cars.

MOT records: DVSA MOT history, which contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See this the other way round.