The Audi Q2, a compact SUV with a sleek design and robust performance, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw millions of car finance agreements scrutinised for potential mis-selling practices, which could have affected a significant number of Audi Q2 owners.
How the Audi Q2 was Typically Financed
During this period, the Audi Q2 was often financed through Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and Hire Purchase (HP) agreements. Typical PCP terms ranged from 36 to 48 months with finance amounts commonly ranging between £15,000 and £30,000. Common lenders for the Audi Q2 included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance.
In a PCP agreement, buyers would make regular monthly payments over the term of the contract with a final balloon payment or optional final purchase amount at the end of the period. This balloon payment is often larger than the typical monthly payments, reflecting the remaining value of the car at the end of the finance term.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA launched an investigation into motor finance agreements to address concerns about
discretionary commission arrangements that may have led to mis-selling practices during this period. According to the FCA, 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026), with a total of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) in potential compensation (£829 average per eligible agreement per agreement) being identified.
Discretionary commissions were payments made by lenders to motor finance intermediaries based on the volume or value of finance arrangements they originated. The FCA found that these practices may have incentivised intermediaries to push customers towards more expensive financing options, such as PCP agreements with higher interest rates and larger balloon payments.
How to Check Your Agreement First, check the date range: agreements made between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024 are relevant. if your agreement includes terms such as "discretionary commission" or an abbreviation like DCA (Discretionary Commission Agreement), it is likely to be affected by the investigation.
Reviewing the specific terms of your finance contract will help you identify whether any mis-selling practices may have occurred during the sale process. If you believe that misleading information was provided, or if your financing options were not adequately explained, you should consider taking steps to
complain directly to your lender for free.
How to Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
If you suspect that your Audi Q2 finance agreement may have been mis-sold due to discretionary commission arrangements, the first step is to contact your lender. Common lenders for the Audi Q2 include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When contacting your lender, provide them with all relevant documentation, including your finance agreement, any correspondence from intermediaries or dealerships, and a detailed explanation of why you believe there may have been mis-selling. Lenders are required to investigate complaints thoroughly and respond within a set timeframe, typically eight weeks for complex cases.
You do not need a
claims management company to handle this process; contacting your lender directly is free and can be an effective way to seek redress without incurring additional fees or costs.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Discretionary Commission Arrangements in Motor Finance." FCA, 2024.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census. "Population Estimates for the United Kingdom," 2021.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). "Motor Finance Complaints: Key Facts About Your Rights," 2023.
Based on 70,018 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Audi Q2 has a pass rate of 92.6%. This is above the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Q2 performs well in MOT testing.
The Q2 pass rate is better than the overall Audi average of 83.9%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 38,242 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 92.6%
- MOT failure rate: 7.4%
- Tests analysed: 70,018 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 38,242 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.