Audi
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%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
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.
Pass
91.5%
Fail
6.3%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
29,676 mi
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
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
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
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A tyre seriously damaged
33 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
31 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
17 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
10 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
8 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
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
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.
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.
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Owner reports · Honest John
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.
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
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.
