Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Audi TT 2002: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 60 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2002 Audi TT were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Petrol emissions (with catalyst).

Summary

The 2002 Audi TT follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 3,272 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
60 in every 100
Did not pass first time
40 in every 1001,319 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
23 yearsabout 114,724 miles
First tests counted
3,272

What failed most often

  1. Petrol emissions (with catalyst)20 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)17 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Individual sidelight or tail light (front)15 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2002 Audi TT vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Brakes

Three faults. The strongest is the electronic stability control: 3.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,316 of 1,319 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Electronic stability control

Failed on 29 first tests3.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

An ESC warning lamp is failed only when the tester is certain it indicates an ESC malfunction, because the lamp takes various forms and the owner's handbook may need checking. The system is also called ESP, VDC or DSC, among many other names. Every failure row is Major, covering the lamp, wheel speed sensors, wiring, other components and the switch.

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Failed on 91 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

ABS is failed as removed only where it has obviously been removed, because not every vehicle in the age range where removal is not permitted has ABS. A warning lamp that does not light or shows an ABS fault is Major, as is a missing or excessively damaged wheel speed sensor. Every failure row for this component is Major.

Brake performance not tested

Failed on 31 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A brake performance test recorded as unable to be tested is Major. DVSA says the result must only be used where it becomes apparent during the test that the item cannot be tested, and this could not have been identified before starting. The reason has to go in the additional information box.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Tyres

One wear pattern: tyre tread depth (rear), 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Tyre tread depth (rear)

Failed on 82 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Only primary grooves count when tread depth is assessed: those holding the wear indicators, or cut as deep as those when new. Shallower secondary grooves are ignored. Tread depth below the minimum for the vehicle is Dangerous, and so is a pattern not visible over the whole tread, but that second row applies only to vehicles that need the lower minimum.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Body and structure

One fault: drive shaft joints and boots (front), 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 218 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Suspension

Two faults. The strongest is the coil spring (front): 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Coil spring (front)

Failed on 84 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)

Failed on 122 first tests2.4 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 240 first tests, 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: petrol emissions (with catalyst), 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Petrol emissions (with catalyst)

Failed on 257 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Emissions levels over the manufacturer's specified limits are Major, as are levels over default limits, which apply when no exact match is found for the vehicle. Dense blue or clearly visible black smoke at idle, held for a set period, is Major, except for certain older vehicles and two stroke engines where smoke is unavoidable. An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels is Major too.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Steering

One fault: steering rack (front), 2.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Steering rack (front)

Failed on 42 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Steering gear casing retaining devices dangerously loose, or visible relative movement to the chassis or bodywork, is graded Dangerous. A casing not properly attached, or fractured, is Major, but a fracture that affects the stability or attachment of the casing is Dangerous. A gaiter damaged but still keeping dirt out is Minor, and Major once missing or no longer doing so.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Suspension arm (rear)

Noted on 98 first tests3.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 185 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Macpherson strut pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 38 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (rear)

Noted on 21 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
60in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
5in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
35in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 59.7% of 3,272 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 64.8%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 5 fixed and the 35 not fixed make the 40 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020022005201020152020Newer cars
406080100200220102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 58 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200061 in every 1001,374
200160 in every 1002,149
2002 This car60 in every 1003,272
200360 in every 1003,830
200461 in every 1003,905
200561 in every 1003,106
200660 in every 1002,550
200765 in every 1007,101
200868 in every 1006,518
200971 in every 1005,533
201071 in every 1006,044
201175 in every 1006,029
201281 in every 1005,350
201382 in every 1006,077
201481 in every 1003,781
201585 in every 1008,229
201687 in every 1008,819
201788 in every 1007,149
201889 in every 1003,934
201991 in every 1004,450
202092 in every 1002,875
202192 in every 1002,357
202292 in every 1002,500

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage matters most on a 2002 Audi TT.

Of 2002 Audi TT vehicles with under 85,000 miles, 68 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 144,000 miles or more, 57 in every 100 did.

Under 85,000652 tests
68
85,000–106,000646 tests
62
106,000–124,000 Typical car658 tests
58
124,000–144,000646 tests
53
144,000 and over662 tests
57

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 85,000106,000–124,000144,000 and over
Petrol emissions (with catalyst)4.36.29.5
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)6.06.46.9
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)2.36.58.3
Headlight aim1.74.34.2
Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)4.33.34.7

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

21in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

59in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

10in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2002 Audi TT follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Petrol emissions (with catalyst), about 20 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 59.7% of 3,272 first MOTs on the 2002 Audi TT passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 64.8%. Among 1,319 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Electronic stability control appears more often than on similar cars (2.2% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 3.2× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2002 Audi TT at the first attempt were Petrol emissions (with catalyst) (19.5%), Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (16.6%) and Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (14.6%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Electronic stability control (2.2% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 3.2× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Electronic stability control shows up more often than on similar cars (2.2% of those tests; 29 observed failures; about 3.2× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2002 Audi TT include Electronic stability control, Drive shaft joints and boots (front), Coil spring (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2002 Audi TT (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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