The Audi A5 was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period, which ran from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. The FCA found that many of these agreements were mis-sold due to
discretionary commission arrangements between lenders and car dealerships, affecting a significant number of consumers who financed their Audi A5 vehicles.
## How the Audi A5 was Typically Financed
The Audi A5 is often sold with financing options such as PCP or HP. During the period under investigation by the FCA, typical finance agreements for an Audi A5 ranged from £15,000 to £30,000 over a term of 36 to 48 months. Common lenders providing finance for Audi vehicles include
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
PCP agreements often included a balloon payment at the end of the term, which is an optional lump sum that must be paid if you choose to keep the vehicle or use it as part of a new finance agreement. This structure can lead to unexpected costs for consumers who were unaware of these terms when they signed up for their finance deals.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation found that many PCP and HP agreements, including those for Audi A5 vehicles, were mis-sold due to discretionary commission arrangements between lenders and dealerships. These arrangements allowed car sellers to receive incentives from lenders based on the type of agreement consumers chose. As a result, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across the UK were affected by these practices, with total losses estimated at £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). The average loss per consumer was around £829 (FCA estimate).
## How to Check Your Agreement Look for any references to discretionary commission arrangements or DCA (Discretionary Commission Arrangements). These agreements were commonly in place between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
If your agreement includes a balloon payment or other terms that seem unusual, it is worth investigating further. You can also check the dates of your finance contract to see if they fall within the FCA's investigation period.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
Many consumers affected by these mis-selling practices have complained directly to their lenders without needing a
[claims management company](https://mlj.org.uk/guides/complaints-about-claims-management-companies). Common lenders for Audi A5 vehicles include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
To start the process of complaining about your finance agreement, gather all relevant documents such as your contract details, payment history, and any correspondence with your lender or dealership. Submit a formal complaint to your lender outlining why you believe your agreement was mis-sold and request a full investigation into the matter.
You can complain directly to your lender for free and do not need a claims management company to assist you. Lenders are required by law to handle complaints fairly and thoroughly, so it is in their interest to address any concerns you have regarding your finance agreement.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates on the impact of discretionary commission arrangements.
- Office for National Statistics Census Data (ONS Census 2021).
-
Financial Ombudsman Service (
FOS) guidelines on handling complaints related to motor finance.
Based on 115,046 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Audi A5 has a pass rate of 83.4%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the A5 performs well in MOT testing.
The A5 pass rate is in line with the overall Audi average of 83.9%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 86,258 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 83.4%
- MOT failure rate: 16.6%
- Tests analysed: 115,046 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 86,258 miles
- Audi average pass rate: 83.9%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.