Audi A3 MOT pass rate and common failures

75% of Audi A3 MOTs passed first time, above the 71% for all cars at the same ages.

75%passed first time (cars its age: 71%)
3.5mAudi A3 MOTs counted since May 2018
6,500typical miles a year at 10 years old

First-time pass rate by year registered

Each year's Audi A3s against every car first registered the same year, at the same ages. Newer cars have only had their first few MOTs, so they look better. Years with fewer than 5,000 MOTs are left out.

Share of MOTs passed first time, by year first registered. All cars: every car first registered that year, at the same ages.
Registered	A3	All cars	MOTs
2023	88%	88%	11k
2022	89%	88%	32k
2021	88%	86%	60k
2020	88%	86%	61k
2019	88%	85%	105k
2018	88%	83%	163k
2017	87%	83%	249k
2016	86%	80%	320k
2015	84%	78%	368k
2014	81%	74%	345k
2013	77%	71%	242k
2012	71%	68%	225k
2011	69%	65%	190k
2010	66%	62%	223k
2009	65%	61%	208k
2008	61%	59%	184k
2007	59%	58%	154k
2006	56%	56%	135k
2005	55%	56%	102k
2004	52%	55%	54k
2003	51%	55%	26k
2002	52%	56%	18k
2001	54%	57%	13k
2000	55%	59%	9k
1999	56%	61%	5k

Compare two years of the A3, age for age.

First-time pass rate by age

Share of MOTs at each age that passed first time. Ages with fewer than 10,000 Audi A3 MOTs are left out.

Commonest reasons for failure

Coil spring fractured or brokenOther cars its age: 2.53.1
Tyre tread below the legal limitOther cars its age: 2.63.1
Drive shaft CV boot splitOther cars its age: 1.31.8
Brake pads less than 1.5mm thickOther cars its age: 1.91.8
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirtOther cars its age: 0.71.7
Tyre has ply or cords exposedOther cars its age: 1.31.6
Tyre cut deep enough to reach the plyOther cars its age: 1.21.5
Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrectOther cars its age: 1.21.5

Out of every 100 Audi A3 MOTs, against other cars at the same ages.

Where it comes up more than other cars its age

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirtFail. Other cars its age: 0.71.7
Electronic power steering warning lamp indicates a system malfunctionFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.1
Exhaust emits excessive dense blue smoke during accelerationFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.0
Headlamp are incorrectly positionedFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.0
Exhaust emits black smoke during accelerationAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.00.0
Drive shaft flexible coupling slightly deterioratedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.00.0

Out of every 100 Audi A3 MOTs. Only items noted well above other cars of the same ages.

Miles a year

Typical miles a year between one MOT and the next: 7,500 at 3 years old, 4,500 at 20. Rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Counted from DVSA records of 286,058,652 MOTs, 20 May 2018 to 18 October 2026. A test and its retests count as one MOT, and a fail put right at the test counts as a first-time fail, as the DVSA counts it. About Audi A3s in general, not a prediction for any one car. Spotted a mistake? Email fuzzyreguk@gmail.com.

Check a Audi A3's MOT history

Every test and advisory, free, from the registration.