Audi Q3 reliability by year, 2011 to 2022
385,503 Audi Q3s went through an MOT in the period we analysed, and 83.3% passed. Set against the 71.7% national pass rate, that is a good result on the raw numbers. Allowing for age, the Q3 beats a typical car tested at the same age by 5.5 points. That is the fairer test, and it puts the model above average. At its first MOT, at three years old, 92.1% of Q3s pass; the national figure for three-year-old cars is 87.9%. When a Q3 does fail, a broken coil spring is the item recorded most often.
Why Audi Q3s fail the MOT
A broken coil spring is recorded on 17.2% of failed Audi Q3 tests, followed by tyre tread below the legal minimum at 14.5% and a tyre worn or cut to the cords at 10%. Percentages can add to more than 100 because one failed test often records several defects.
Coil springs fracture on British roads more than anywhere else in Europe, and a fractured spring is a fail. Listen for a clunk over potholes.
Advisories to expect on a Q3
An advisory is the tester telling you what fails next year. On the Q3 the usual suspects are tyre tread below the legal minimum (15.4% of tests) and worn brake discs (11.5%). The advisory conversion table shows which of these are worth acting on first.
Petrol, diesel or hybrid Q3?
Among Audi Q3 cars, hybrid versions pass 91.6% of the time and diesel versions 78.7%, a gap of 12.9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 78.7% | 199,707 |
| Petrol | 88.2% | 182,920 |
| Hybrid | 91.6% | 2,356 |
Pass rate by year of first use
Between 2011 (70.7%) and 2022 (92.6%) the pass rate moves mostly with age. Among years with a decent sample, 2022 is the strongest at 92.6% and 2012 the weakest at 71%.
| First used | Pass rate | Tests | Miles a year | First MOT pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audi Q3 2022 | 92.6% | 12,034 | 8,944 | 92.5% |
| Audi Q3 2021 | 91.4% | 22,635 | 8,790 | 90.9% |
| Audi Q3 2020 | 92% | 37,684 | 7,851 | 92.8% |
| Audi Q3 2019 | 91.1% | 41,338 | 7,572 | – |
| Audi Q3 2018 | 87.2% | 37,151 | 7,720 | – |
| Audi Q3 2017 | 85.5% | 47,559 | 7,854 | – |
| Audi Q3 2016 | 81.8% | 48,715 | 8,100 | – |
| Audi Q3 2015 | 78.6% | 41,919 | 8,114 | – |
| Audi Q3 2014 | 75.6% | 40,819 | 8,251 | – |
| Audi Q3 2013 | 72.7% | 34,440 | 8,408 | – |
| Audi Q3 2012 | 71% | 19,777 | 8,271 | – |
| Audi Q3 2011 | 70.7% | 1,432 | 7,495 | – |
Mileage matters more than the badge
On the 2016 cars, a Q3 under 40,000 miles passes 88.3% of the time; one over 100,000 passes 75.4%. When comparing two used Q3s, the odometer tells you more than the year.
| Mileage at test (2016 cars) | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88.3% | 7,078 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 84.3% | 15,498 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80% | 14,728 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.3% | 7,451 |
| Over 100,000 | 75.4% | 3,959 |
Compared with other cars
Set against the rest of the Audi range, which averages 78.1%, the Q3 at 83.3% is above par. Within the family, see Audi A3 MOT pass rate (75.2%), Audi A4 MOT pass rate (72.8%), Audi A1 reliability (77.2%) and A6 common problems (79.3%), or Audi reliability by model. Buyers weighing a Q3 against other cars of similar popularity often compare it with the Peugeot 3008 (71.3%) and Peugeot 2008 (74.4%). The full reliability table puts them side by side, and the UK pass rates by age and fuel give the baseline.
Each Q3 year in detail
Each year opens to show its own failure list and pass rate by mileage.
Audi Q3 2022 92.6% pass 12,034 tests92.5% at first MOT
On a 2022 Audi Q3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 28.8% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 20.9%.
2022 cars pass 93.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 91.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 93.2% | 10,585 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 87.8% | 1,186 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 87.8% | 197 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 92.6% | 54 |
| Over 100,000 | 91.7% | 12 |
By fuel: petrol 93% (9,343 tests), diesel 91.5% (1,457 tests), hybrid 90.6% (1,234 tests).
Audi Q3 2021 91.4% pass 22,635 tests90.9% at first MOT
On a 2021 Audi Q3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 27.1% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 16%.
2021 cars pass 92.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 84.9% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 92.1% | 17,894 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 88.8% | 3,819 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 86.5% | 736 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 94.7% | 133 |
| Over 100,000 | 84.9% | 53 |
By fuel: petrol 91.5% (16,543 tests), diesel 90.8% (4,970 tests), hybrid 92.6% (1,122 tests).
Audi Q3 2020 92% pass 37,684 tests92.8% at first MOT
On a 2020 Audi Q3, a tyre worn or cut to the cords appears on 23.6% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 16.2%.
2020 cars pass 92.9% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 83.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 92.9% | 28,756 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 89.4% | 7,296 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 89.6% | 1,321 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 85.6% | 243 |
| Over 100,000 | 83.8% | 68 |
By fuel: petrol 92.6% (29,298 tests), diesel 90.2% (8,323 tests).
Audi Q3 2019 91.1% pass 41,338 tests
On a 2019 Audi Q3, brake pads worn below 1.5mm appears on 18.5% of failed tests, with a tyre worn or cut to the cords next at 17.7%.
2019 cars pass 92.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 87.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 92.2% | 25,320 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 89.6% | 11,948 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 88.7% | 3,180 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 87% | 655 |
| Over 100,000 | 87.6% | 234 |
By fuel: petrol 91.2% (30,736 tests), diesel 90.6% (10,602 tests).
Audi Q3 2018 87.2% pass 37,151 tests
On a 2018 Audi Q3, tyre tread below the legal minimum appears on 14.7% of failed tests, with a broken coil spring next at 12%.
2018 cars pass 90.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 75.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.6% | 15,201 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86.4% | 14,199 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.4% | 5,756 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 81.2% | 1,558 |
| Over 100,000 | 75.5% | 437 |
By fuel: petrol 87.4% (27,978 tests), diesel 86.4% (9,173 tests).
Audi Q3 2017 85.5% pass 47,559 tests
On a 2017 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 17.6% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 15.2%.
2017 cars pass 90.1% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 77.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 90.1% | 12,222 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 86% | 18,275 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 82.8% | 11,269 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 80.1% | 4,082 |
| Over 100,000 | 77.6% | 1,707 |
By fuel: petrol 86.2% (26,472 tests), diesel 84.6% (21,087 tests).
Audi Q3 2016 81.8% pass 48,715 tests
On a 2016 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 29.7% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13.3%.
2016 cars pass 88.3% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 75.4% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 88.3% | 7,078 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 84.3% | 15,498 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 80% | 14,728 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 77.3% | 7,451 |
| Over 100,000 | 75.4% | 3,959 |
By fuel: diesel 80.6% (35,376 tests), petrol 85% (13,333 tests).
Audi Q3 2015 78.6% pass 41,919 tests
On a 2015 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 28.4% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 12%.
2015 cars pass 87.7% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 71.2% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.7% | 4,063 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.9% | 10,062 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 78.9% | 12,943 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 74.3% | 8,690 |
| Over 100,000 | 71.2% | 6,159 |
By fuel: diesel 77% (29,191 tests), petrol 82.3% (12,728 tests).
Audi Q3 2014 75.6% pass 40,819 tests
On a 2014 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 25.8% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13%.
2014 cars pass 87.6% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 68.8% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 87.6% | 2,397 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 82.4% | 6,825 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.6% | 11,115 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 72.7% | 10,318 |
| Over 100,000 | 68.8% | 10,160 |
By fuel: diesel 73.8% (31,828 tests), petrol 81.7% (8,991 tests).
Audi Q3 2013 72.7% pass 34,440 tests
On a 2013 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 29.7% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 13.1%.
2013 cars pass 85.8% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66.7% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 85.8% | 1,161 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 81.3% | 3,731 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 76.1% | 7,651 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 73% | 9,119 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.7% | 12,775 |
By fuel: diesel 71.8% (30,547 tests), petrol 79.9% (3,893 tests).
Audi Q3 2012 71% pass 19,777 tests
On a 2012 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 30.7% of failed tests, with tyre tread below the legal minimum next at 12%.
2012 cars pass 84.2% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66.6% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 84.2% | 518 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 80.8% | 1,561 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 75.9% | 3,620 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 71.1% | 5,019 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.6% | 9,057 |
By fuel: diesel 69.8% (16,172 tests), petrol 76.3% (3,605 tests).
Audi Q3 2011 70.7% pass 1,432 tests
On a 2011 Audi Q3, a broken coil spring appears on 30.8% of failed tests, with a dashboard warning light next at 10.3%.
2011 cars pass 82.4% of the time at under 40,000 miles, falling to 66.5% over 100,000.
| Mileage at test | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 | 82.4% | 34 |
| 40,000 to 60,000 | 78.7% | 127 |
| 60,000 to 80,000 | 77.8% | 266 |
| 80,000 to 100,000 | 69.1% | 375 |
| Over 100,000 | 66.5% | 630 |
Questions people ask
Is the Audi Q3 reliable?
On MOT evidence the Audi Q3 is above average. It passes 83.3% of tests against 71.7% for all cars, and beats cars of the same age by 5.5 points. 92.1% pass their first MOT at three years old. Figures from 385,503 DVSA tests.
What are the most common Audi Q3 MOT failures?
A broken coil spring (17.2% of failed tests), tyre tread below the legal minimum (14.5%) and a tyre worn or cut to the cords (10%). Coil springs fracture on British roads more than anywhere else in Europe, and a fractured spring is a fail. Listen for a clunk over potholes.
Which Audi Q3 year is the most reliable?
Among years with a large sample, 2022 cars have the highest pass rate at 92.6% and 2012 cars the lowest at 71%. 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 Q3 usually get?
Tyre tread below the legal minimum is the most frequent, noted on 15.4% of all Q3 tests, then worn brake discs (11.5%). An advisory passes the car today but marks the item most likely to fail next year.
How many miles a year does a Audi Q3 do?
About 8,070 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 Q3?
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.
Own a Q3?
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 8,070 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.