Audi A3 reliability by year, 2000 to 2022
1,249,310 Audi A3s went through an MOT in the period we analysed, and 75.2% passed. Set against the 71.7% national pass rate, that is a good result on the raw numbers. Allowing for age, the A3 beats a typical car tested at the same age by 5.2 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model above average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 89.1% of A3s pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. When a A3 does fail, tyre tread below the legal minimum is the item recorded most often.
What fails a Audi A3 at its MOT
The A3's failures cluster around tyres and suspension: tyre tread below the legal minimum on 11.4% of fails, a broken coil spring on 8.3%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
A tyre fail usually means a tyre that was already an advisory last year. Worth looking at the previous certificate before booking.
Advisories to expect on a A3
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the A3 the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (17.3% of tests) and worn brake discs (9.8%). The advisory conversion table shows which of these are worth acting on first.
Does fuel type matter on a A3?
Among Audi A3 cars, hybrid versions pass 85.8% of the time and diesel versions 70.2%, a gap of 15.6 points. Diesels tend to be bought for high mileage, which shows up at the test as wear. Hybrid versions are newer cars on average, so some of that gap is age rather than engineering.
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 79.7% | 615,918 |
| Diesel | 70.2% | 605,789 |
| Hybrid | 85.8% | 26,736 |
Audi A3 pass rate by year
Between 2000 (59.1%) and 2022 (89.2%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2022 is the strongest at 89.2% and 2004 the weakest at 52.8%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi A3 2022 | 89.2% | 18,422 | 9,785 | 89.1% |
| Audi A3 2021 | 88.9% | 41,146 | 9,625 | 88.9% |
| Audi A3 2020 | 88.8% | 46,955 | 8,332 | 89.3% |
| Audi A3 2019 | 87.6% | 62,427 | 8,432 | – |
| Audi A3 2018 | 87.5% | 80,002 | 8,249 | – |
| Audi A3 2017 | 85.8% | 100,591 | 8,485 | – |
| Audi A3 2016 | 84.1% | 115,759 | 8,514 | – |
| Audi A3 2015 | 81.2% | 123,946 | 8,704 | – |
| Audi A3 2014 | 78% | 115,923 | 8,815 | – |
| Audi A3 2013 | 73.8% | 81,444 | 9,009 | – |
| Audi A3 2012 | 67.1% | 76,327 | 9,018 | – |
| Audi A3 2011 | 65.2% | 63,930 | 8,973 | – |
| Audi A3 2010 | 62.8% | 73,698 | 8,314 | – |
| Audi A3 2009 | 62.3% | 66,257 | 8,190 | – |
| Audi A3 2008 | 59.3% | 55,947 | 8,034 | – |
| Audi A3 2007 | 58.4% | 43,682 | 7,960 | – |
| Audi A3 2006 | 56.1% | 35,680 | 7,640 | – |
| Audi A3 2005 | 55.7% | 23,828 | 7,331 | – |
| Audi A3 2004 | 52.8% | 10,467 | 6,809 | – |
| Audi A3 2003 | 55.7% | 4,830 | 6,603 | – |
| Audi A3 2002 | 56.1% | 3,693 | 6,410 | – |
| Audi A3 2001 | 60.1% | 2,646 | 5,668 | – |
| Audi A3 2000 | 59.1% | 1,710 | 5,426 | – |
Mileage matters more than the badge
On the 2015 cars, a A3 under 40,000 miles passes 89.9% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 75.6%. When comparing two used A3s, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2015 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.9% | 11,533 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.8% | 25,929 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.5% | 33,428 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 78.1% | 26,131 |
| Over 100,000 | 75.6% | 26,910 |
Compared with other cars
Set against the rest of the Audi range, which averages 78.1%, the A3 at 75.2% is below par. Within the family, see Audi A4 MOT pass rate (72.8%), Audi A1 reliability (77.2%), Audi Q3 reliability (83.3%) and how the A6 does (79.3%), or Audi reliability by model. Buyers weighing a A3 against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (74.3%) and Fiat 500 (68.3%). The reliability index for all makes and models puts them side by side, and the statistics for all 98 million tests give the baseline.
Failure lists and mileage by year
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Audi A3 2022 89.2% pass 18,422 tests89.1% at first MOT
On a 2022 Audi A3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 26.6% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 19.3%.
2022 cars pass 90.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 85.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.1% | 15,098 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.1% | 2,469 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.6% | 622 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.5% | 185 |
| Over 100,000 | 85.4% | 48 |
By fuel: petrol 90% (13,503 tests), hybrid 86% (3,203 tests), diesel 88.9% (1,716 tests).
Audi A3 2021 88.9% pass 41,146 tests88.9% at first MOT
On a 2021 Audi A3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 26.4% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 15.6%.
2021 cars pass 90.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.2% | 30,021 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.6% | 7,975 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.4% | 2,206 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.4% | 665 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.1% | 279 |
By fuel: petrol 89.9% (26,352 tests), hybrid 87.2% (11,420 tests), diesel 86.3% (3,374 tests).
Audi A3 2020 88.8% pass 46,955 tests89.3% at first MOT
On a 2020 Audi A3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 21.1% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 17.7%.
2020 cars pass 90% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 80% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90% | 33,855 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.9% | 9,688 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.7% | 2,577 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.1% | 605 |
| Over 100,000 | 80% | 230 |
By fuel: petrol 89.7% (37,105 tests), diesel 86.9% (5,685 tests), hybrid 83.9% (4,165 tests).
Audi A3 2019 87.6% pass 62,427 tests
On a 2019 Audi A3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 18.7% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 15.1%.
2019 cars pass 90.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 81.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.1% | 32,944 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.7% | 19,499 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.2% | 7,026 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.6% | 2,049 |
| Over 100,000 | 81.8% | 908 |
By fuel: petrol 88.1% (49,733 tests), diesel 85.8% (12,689 tests).
Audi A3 2018 87.5% pass 80,002 tests
On a 2018 Audi A3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 18.4% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 13%.
2018 cars pass 90.5% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 81.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.5% | 29,776 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87% | 29,094 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 84.7% | 14,019 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.6% | 4,884 |
| Over 100,000 | 81.9% | 2,226 |
By fuel: petrol 88% (66,003 tests), diesel 84.8% (12,601 tests), hybrid 87.3% (1,398 tests).
Audi A3 2017 85.8% pass 100,591 tests
On a 2017 Audi A3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 16.7% of failed tests, with brake pads worn below 1.5mm next at 11.8%.
2017 cars pass 90.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 79.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.3% | 22,457 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.6% | 34,961 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.9% | 24,939 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 82.1% | 11,553 |
| Over 100,000 | 79.6% | 6,677 |
By fuel: petrol 86.6% (65,666 tests), diesel 84.2% (33,210 tests), hybrid 84.5% (1,715 tests).
Audi A3 2016 84.1% pass 115,759 tests
On a 2016 Audi A3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 16.1% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 9.6%.
2016 cars pass 90.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.3% | 16,231 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87% | 33,446 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 83.3% | 33,024 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80% | 19,213 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.2% | 13,837 |
By fuel: petrol 85.5% (62,910 tests), diesel 82.3% (51,287 tests), hybrid 82.4% (1,562 tests).
Audi A3 2015 81.2% pass 123,946 tests
On a 2015 Audi A3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 13.4% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 10.7%.
2015 cars pass 89.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 75.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 89.9% | 11,533 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 85.8% | 25,929 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 81.5% | 33,428 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 78.1% | 26,131 |
| Over 100,000 | 75.6% | 26,910 |
By fuel: diesel 78.7% (64,996 tests), petrol 83.9% (55,677 tests), hybrid 84.8% (3,273 tests).
Audi A3 2014 78% pass 115,923 tests
On a 2014 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 12.7% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 11.9%.
2014 cars pass 90% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 73.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90% | 7,291 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 83.8% | 16,999 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 78.8% | 26,926 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 76.6% | 26,872 |
| Over 100,000 | 73.4% | 37,818 |
By fuel: diesel 76.1% (68,363 tests), petrol 80.7% (47,377 tests).
Audi A3 2013 73.8% pass 81,444 tests
On a 2013 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 20.9% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 11.6%.
2013 cars pass 88.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 70.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88.2% | 2,899 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.3% | 7,706 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 76.2% | 14,662 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 73.4% | 18,783 |
| Over 100,000 | 70.4% | 37,387 |
By fuel: diesel 72.3% (57,065 tests), petrol 77.3% (24,379 tests).
Audi A3 2012 67.1% pass 76,327 tests
On a 2012 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 18.3% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 11.3%.
2012 cars pass 83.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 63.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 83.3% | 1,634 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 77.8% | 5,101 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 72.5% | 10,783 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 67.8% | 15,944 |
| Over 100,000 | 63.6% | 42,851 |
By fuel: diesel 65.7% (57,600 tests), petrol 71.4% (18,725 tests).
Audi A3 2011 65.2% pass 63,930 tests
On a 2011 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 16% of failed tests, with a split ball joint dust cover next at 12.2%.
2011 cars pass 81.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 62.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 81.8% | 1,222 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 76.4% | 3,338 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 69.2% | 7,211 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 65.6% | 11,394 |
| Over 100,000 | 62.9% | 40,755 |
By fuel: diesel 64.1% (46,325 tests), petrol 68% (17,605 tests).
Audi A3 2010 62.8% pass 73,698 tests
On a 2010 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 16.8% of failed tests, with a split ball joint dust cover next at 10.8%.
2010 cars pass 77.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 60.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 77.6% | 1,204 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 71.3% | 3,528 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 67.7% | 8,418 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 64% | 13,466 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.6% | 47,068 |
By fuel: diesel 61.8% (43,741 tests), petrol 64.3% (29,957 tests).
Audi A3 2009 62.3% pass 66,257 tests
On a 2009 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 18.2% of failed tests, with a number plate light not working next at 13.4%.
2009 cars pass 77% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 60.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 77% | 1,020 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 72.9% | 2,513 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 69.4% | 5,885 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 64.2% | 10,331 |
| Over 100,000 | 60.1% | 46,496 |
By fuel: diesel 61.3% (42,273 tests), petrol 64.2% (23,981 tests).
Audi A3 2008 59.3% pass 55,947 tests
On a 2008 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 16.9% of failed tests, with a split CV boot next at 16.3%.
2008 cars pass 78.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 57.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 78.8% | 537 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 72.8% | 1,665 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 66.7% | 4,165 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 61.6% | 7,722 |
| Over 100,000 | 57.3% | 41,848 |
By fuel: diesel 58.5% (35,173 tests), petrol 60.7% (20,773 tests).
Audi A3 2007 58.4% pass 43,682 tests
On a 2007 Audi A3, a split CV boot appears on 15.5% of failed tests, with a broken coil spring next at 14.9%.
2007 cars pass 79.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 56.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 79.4% | 388 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 72.6% | 1,183 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 66.5% | 2,415 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 62.6% | 4,950 |
| Over 100,000 | 56.5% | 34,729 |
By fuel: diesel 57.1% (27,430 tests), petrol 60.5% (16,250 tests).
Audi A3 2006 56.1% pass 35,680 tests
On a 2006 Audi A3, a split CV boot appears on 19.1% of failed tests, with a number plate light not working next at 13%.
2006 cars pass 69.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 54.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 69.8% | 364 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 70% | 846 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 63.1% | 1,977 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 59.3% | 3,674 |
| Over 100,000 | 54.7% | 28,802 |
By fuel: diesel 55.6% (20,164 tests), petrol 56.8% (15,514 tests).
Audi A3 2005 55.7% pass 23,828 tests
On a 2005 Audi A3, a split CV boot appears on 18.3% of failed tests, with a number plate light not working next at 15.7%.
2005 cars pass 74.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 53.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 74.3% | 253 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 71.1% | 599 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 65.2% | 1,301 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 59.4% | 2,407 |
| Over 100,000 | 53.9% | 19,253 |
By fuel: diesel 53.8% (13,113 tests), petrol 58% (10,715 tests).
Audi A3 2004 52.8% pass 10,467 tests
On a 2004 Audi A3, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 17.3% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 15%.
2004 cars pass 64.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 51.3% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 64.2% | 95 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 65.6% | 346 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 59.3% | 676 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 55% | 1,204 |
| Over 100,000 | 51.3% | 8,132 |
By fuel: diesel 51.2% (5,319 tests), petrol 54.5% (5,148 tests).
Audi A3 2003 55.7% pass 4,830 tests
On a 2003 Audi A3, headlamp aim out of adjustment appears on 12.7% of failed tests, with a number plate light not working next at 10.7%.
2003 cars pass 76.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 54.1% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 76.3% | 76 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 67.3% | 162 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 58.6% | 319 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 57.7% | 614 |
| Over 100,000 | 54.1% | 3,658 |
By fuel: petrol 58.4% (2,587 tests), diesel 52.4% (2,240 tests).
Audi A3 2002 56.1% pass 3,693 tests
On a 2002 Audi A3, a sidelight not working appears on 12.8% of failed tests, with a worn suspension bush next at 12.2%.
2002 cars pass 73.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 54.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 73.6% | 53 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 70.5% | 149 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 57.7% | 272 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 58.9% | 367 |
| Over 100,000 | 54.5% | 2,849 |
By fuel: petrol 59% (2,266 tests), diesel 51.4% (1,425 tests).
Audi A3 2001 60.1% pass 2,646 tests
On a 2001 Audi A3, a broken coil spring appears on 11.4% of failed tests, with a worn suspension bush next at 11.1%.
2001 cars pass 77.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 59.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 77.1% | 48 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 65.3% | 124 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 59% | 205 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 58.9% | 331 |
| Over 100,000 | 59.6% | 1,937 |
Audi A3 2000 59.1% pass 1,710 tests
On a 2000 Audi A3, a worn suspension bush appears on 13.1% of failed tests, with a brake light not working next at 10.4%.
2000 cars pass 76.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 57.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 76.9% | 39 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 74.4% | 82 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 55% | 131 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 60.4% | 235 |
| Over 100,000 | 57.6% | 1,222 |
Questions people ask
Is the Audi A3 reliable?
On MOT evidence the Audi A3 is above average. It passes 75.2% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 5.2 points. 89.1% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 1,249,310 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Audi A3 MOT failures?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum (11.4% of failed tests), a broken coil spring (8.3%) and brake pads worn below 1.5mm (5.6%). A tyre fail usually means a tyre that was already an advisory last year. Worth looking at the previous certificate before booking.
Which Audi A3 year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2022 cars have the highest pass rate at 89.2% and 2004 cars the lowest at 52.8%. Newer years pass more because they are younger, so compare a specific car's year against the table above rather than against the overall figure.
What advisories does a Audi A3 usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 17.3% of all A3 tests, then worn brake discs (9.8%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Audi A3 do?
About 8,517 miles a year on average, calculated from the odometer readings recorded at consecutive MOTs. That is close to the UK average of roughly 7,400.
How do I check a particular Audi A3?
The figures describe the whole fleet. For one car, enter its registration in the free MOT check to see its own test history, advisories and mileage, set against these averages for its year.
Checking a A3 before you buy?
Enter the registration to see its own MOT history, advisories and mileage set against these figures, including whether it has done more or fewer than the 8,517 miles a year typical of the model.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Class 4 cars, normal tests only; a pass after rectification counts as an initial failure. Age-adjusted figures compare the model's pass rate at each age with the national rate at the same age. Methodology.