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A3 Sport 35 Tfsi

1,583 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where A3 Sport 35 Tfsis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 13.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

91.2%

Pass-after-fix

1.5%

Fail

6.4%

Avg miles

28,174

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

ULEZ compliant

Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.

UK ULEZ & CAZ guide →

Performance by cohort

2 year bands · 1,583 tests

Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old A3 Sport 35 Tfsi examples track each other at the test bay.

2018–2020 cohort 840

Pass

91.5%

Fail

6.3%

PRS

1.4%

Avg mileage at test

29,676 mi

2021+ cohort 743

Pass

90.7%

Fail

6.6%

PRS

1.5%

Avg mileage at test

26,469 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

A3 Sport 35 Tfsi: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 592 MOT tests, the A3 Sport 35 Tfsi returns 91.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. Windscreen damage and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 21,892, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 20–36

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

20–36

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    A tyre seriously damaged

    33 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    31 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  3. 03

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    17 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre seriously damaged

    10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  5. 05

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests

  6. 06

    Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

    5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  7. 07

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  8. 08

    Wiper blade defective

    4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests

  9. 09

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£120£190

If every one of this A3 Sport 35 Tfsi's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Audi A3 Sport 35 Tfsi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

91.5%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 91.5% — a 0.8-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.

Band to be cautious about

90.7%

2021+ registration

On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 90.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, has a cut in excess of the…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 26,469 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (91.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (90.7% pass). That's a 0.8-point spread across 743 older tests and 840 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Sharp looks and classy interior, frugal engine line-up, impressive standard equipment levels.

Recent owner-reported faults

  1. 29 Sep 2021

    Report of battery cut out on 2021 Audi A3 1.5 TSI. Dealer has suggested that the problem may be caused by driving over a hump or pothole in the road. Audi dealer says this is a "common problem which is being taken up with Audi as the switches are too sensitive". Compare new Audi A3 deals Buy new from £25,529(list price from £30,300) View offers

Source: honestjohn.co.uk · 1 reports indexed

Buying or keeping an A3 Sport 35 Tfsi?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own an A3 Sport 35 Tfsi and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.