Audi A3 MOT pass rate: 78.5% (369,274 tests, 2025)

Name: Audi A3 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Audi A3 passed 78.5% of its 369,274 MOT tests in 2025 — 1.0 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 89,880 miles on the clock.

78.5%Pass rate (2025)

369,274MOT tests analysed

89,880 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the A3 compares

Audi A3

78.5%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Audi average (all models)

81.8%

What fails most on the Audi A3

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the A3:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	53,434	28.1%
2	Tyres	35,517	18.7%
3	Brakes	31,994	16.8%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	31,115	16.4%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	13,145	6.9%
6	Body, chassis, structure	12,544	6.6%

Pre-MOT checklist for A3 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

A3 pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2002, 2004. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2014, 2015. Full ranking and method: Audi A3 years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	2,646	67.2%	+0.6 pts	128,342	67.2% visual scale
2002	3,693	64.8%	-0.9 pts	135,938	64.8% visual scale
2003	4,828	64.5%	-0.5 pts	132,959	64.5% visual scale
2004	10,467	61.6%	-2.7 pts	133,182	61.6% visual scale
2005	23,828	64.0%	-0.4 pts	137,184	64.0% visual scale
2006	35,677	64.1%	-0.3 pts	135,366	64.1% visual scale
2007	43,676	66.4%	+1.2 pts	133,074	66.4% visual scale
2008	55,920	66.6%	+1.5 pts	126,012	66.6% visual scale
2009	66,243	68.4%	+2.0 pts	120,103	68.4% visual scale
2010	73,679	68.4%	+1.0 pts	113,344	68.4% visual scale
2011	63,911	70.5%	+1.4 pts	113,800	70.5% visual scale
2012	76,314	72.3%	+1.1 pts	105,458	72.3% visual scale
2013	81,420	78.3%	+5.0 pts	96,528	78.3% visual scale
2014	115,893	82.2%	+6.4 pts	84,782	82.2% visual scale
2015	123,925	85.1%	+6.4 pts	74,559	85.1% visual scale
2016	115,727	87.2%	+5.9 pts	64,458	87.2% visual scale
2017	100,569	88.3%	+4.3 pts	55,719	88.3% visual scale
2018	79,981	89.5%	+3.1 pts	46,072	89.5% visual scale
2019	61,443	89.7%	+1.3 pts	38,664	89.7% visual scale
2020	13,546	90.1%	+0.2 pts	30,588	90.1% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 12,684 cars · 5.9% failed the same item the next year
Individual direction indicators slightly discoloured — 2,380 cars · 4.5% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 24,867 cars · 4.5% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 2,371 cars · 4.3% failed the same item the next year
Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 718 cars · 4.3% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific A3 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Audi models

A476.4% pass rate · 225,890 tests A178.6% pass rate · 218,041 tests A579.6% pass rate · 113,772 tests A682.4% pass rate · 111,230 tests Tt80.1% pass rate · 110,604 tests Q381.6% pass rate · 104,391 tests Q584.6% pass rate · 94,382 tests Q292.0% pass rate · 79,257 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for an Audi A3?

In 2025, 78.5% of 369,274 first MOT tests on the Audi A3 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the A3 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (28.1% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Audi A3 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 78.5% it performs above the national average at a median age of 11 years and 89,880 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.