MOT cost .
Audi A3
MOT 2024

Wikimedia Commons — CC-BY-SA (image-specific)

Audi

A3

784,385 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where A3s pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 2.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

80.1%

Pass-after-fix

3.7%

Fail

15.6%

Avg miles

92,392

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

Trim variants

S Line 35 Tfsi Mhev S A 92.0% 10,649 S Line 35 Tfsi 92.3% 7,174 S Line 40 Tfsi E S A 89.8% 6,357 Sport 40 Tfsi E S A 88.6% 4,156 S Line 30 Tfsi 92.7% 4,066 Technik 30 Tfsi 91.3% 3,277 Sport 30 Tfsi 90.5% 2,901 S Line ED 1 35 Tfsi Mhev SA 90.5% 2,609 S Line 30 Tfsi Mhev S A 90.8% 2,371 S Line Edition 1 35 Tfsi 92.0% 2,071 S Line 35 TDI S A 90.2% 1,961 E Tron 40 S A 85.9% 1,902 Technik 35 Tfsi 90.3% 1,593 Sport 35 Tfsi 91.2% 1,583 Sport 35 Tfsi Mhev S A 91.4% 1,391 Sport 30 Tfsi Mhev S A 91.6% 1,333

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 784,385 tests

Pass rate climbs 14.0 points across the cohorts — newer A3 examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 702,001

Pass

78.9%

Fail

16.6%

PRS

4.0%

Avg mileage at test

98,142 mi

2018–2020 cohort 81,767

Pass

90.3%

Fail

7.7%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

43,635 mi

2021+ cohort 617

Pass

92.9%

Fail

4.5%

PRS

1.6%

Avg mileage at test

27,744 mi

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

Generations on file · 4

Audi A3 · UK market

Audi A3 1996-2003

1996–2003

Audi A3 2003-2012

2003–2012

Audi A3 2012-2020

2012–2020

Audi A3 2020-now

2020–now

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Audi A3: mixed MOT record across 493,202 tests

The Audi A3 is a premium small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi AG since September 1996.

MOT data from 493,202 tests puts this car on a 77.9% first-time pass rate, roughly in line with the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 89,763 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by failed number plate light.

While the Audi A3 Sportback isn't dramatically different from its predecessor, it remains a very classy compact car that's packed with kit.

Buyers weighing up a used A3 should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.

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

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

    22,248 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  2. 02

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    20,873 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  3. 03

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    19,321 occurrences · 2.5% of tests

  4. 04

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    17,649 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  5. 05

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    15,849 occurrences · 2.0% of tests

  6. 06

    A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    10,467 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  7. 07

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    9,803 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  8. 08

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    9,327 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  9. 09

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

    9,136 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  10. 10

    A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated

    8,329 occurrences · 1.1% 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 3 failures

£148–£370

If every one of this A3'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. A 14.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Audi A3 has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

92.9%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 92.9% — a 14.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 27,744 miles — roughly 70K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a bulge, caused by separation or… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

78.9%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 78.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and constant velocity boot severely deteriorated. Average mileage on test for this band is 98,142 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (92.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (78.9% pass). That's a 14.0-point spread across 702,001 older tests and 617 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.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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

Summit ADRG-215 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-215 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-216 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-216 Audi Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£14.29

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

Draper Expert Audi/VW Drain Plug Key, 1/2" Sq. Dr.

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Audi/VW Drain Plug Key, 1/2" Sq. Dr.

£21.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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

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

Recall history

25 UK recalls on record.

The A3 has 25 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping an A3?

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 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.