Is the Audi A3 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Audi A3 is above average. It passes 77.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 77 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A3?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 18.2% of failed Audi A3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Audi A3?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.6% of all Audi A3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi A3 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,070 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Audi A3 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.7% of Audi A3 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 60.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Audi A3 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi A3 cars tested, 51% are petrol, 45% are diesel, 3% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi A3 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 420,916 recorded MOT tests of the Audi A3, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Audi A3 passes 77.8% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 77 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 420,916 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 18.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 88,070 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

77.8%national average72.3%unadjusted75.9%range covered100%rank77 of 262

The A3 is 5.5 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 75.9%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi A3 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened18.2%
15,389 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements16.7%
14,075 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.8%
9,115 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.7%
8,215 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.7%
8,192 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.8%
7,402 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc8.6%
7,251 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage6.8%
5,713 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements6.4%
5,367 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.0%
4,238 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi A3 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements25.6%
107,809 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.0%
54,602 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged11.3%
47,634 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.3%
39,049 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.8%
36,955 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage6.5%
27,527 testsShock absorber defective explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded6.4%
27,076 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users4.8%
20,186 tests

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs89%

6–8 yrs86%

9–11 yrs80%

12–14 yrs68%

15+ yrs60%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The A3 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 88,070
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol51.5%
Diesel45.4%
Hybrid3.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

A3 1.4 TFSI SE SPORTBACK S TRONIC 7G
A3 30 TFSI
A3 35 TFSI
A3 35 TFSI S-LINE
A3 40 S-A
A3 AUTO
A3 CABRIOLET
A3 CONVERTIBLE
A3 QUATTRO
A3 QUATTRO SPORTLUXURY
A3 S LINE
A3 S LINE 30 TDI
A3 S LINE 30 TFSI
A3 S LINE 30 TFSI MHEV S-A
A3 S LINE 35 TDI
A3 S LINE 35 TDI S-A
A3 S LINE 35 TFSI
A3 S LINE 35 TFSI MHEV S-A
A3 S LINE 40 TDI QUATTRO S-A
A3 S LINE 40 TFSI E S-A
A3 S LINE 40 TFSI QUATTRO S-A
A3 S LINE BLACK ED 35 TDI SA
A3 S LINE BLACK ED 35 TFSI
A3 S LINE BLACK EDITION 35 TDI
A3 S LINE COMP 45 TFSI E SA
A3 S LINE ED 1 35 TFSI MHEV SA
A3 S LINE ED 1 40 TDI QUAT SA
A3 S LINE ED 1 40 TFSI QUAT SA
A3 S LINE EDITION 1 35 TDI
A3 S LINE EDITION 1 35 TDI S-A
A3 S LINE EDITION 1 35 TFSI
A3 S LINE TDI QUATTRO
A3 S LINE TDI S-A
A3 S LINE TFSI S-A
A3 S LINE VOR 40 TFSI QUAT S-A
A3 S LINE VORSPRUNG 35 TDI S-A
A3 S LN BLK ED 35 TFSI MHEV SA
A3 S LN VSPRNG 35 TFSI MHEV SA
A3 S LNE V-SPRNG 40TDI QUAT SA
A3 SE TDI

Check a specific Audi A3

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Audi models

Audi A4 — 77.8% adjusted
Audi A1 — 73.7% adjusted
Audi Q3 — 81.5% adjusted
Audi A5 — 79.1% adjusted
Audi A6 — 82.4% adjusted
Audi Q5 — 81.6% adjusted
All Audi models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

BMW 1 Series — 77.6% adjusted, ranked 79
Toyota Yaris — 72.3% adjusted, ranked 144
Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted, ranked 131
BMW 3 Series — 80.0% adjusted, ranked 55

Common questions

Is the Audi A3 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Audi A3 is above average. It passes 77.8% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 77 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A3?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 18.2% of failed Audi A3 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Audi A3?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 25.6% of all Audi A3 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi A3 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,070 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Audi A3 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.7% of Audi A3 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 60.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Audi A3 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi A3 cars tested, 51% are petrol, 45% are diesel, 3% are hybrid. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.