Audi
6,201 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Q3 S Line 35 Tfsis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
93.1%
Pass-after-fix
0.8%
Fail
5.8%
Avg miles
29,521
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 · 6,201 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Q3 S Line 35 Tfsi examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
93.2%
Fail
5.6%
PRS
0.9%
Avg mileage at test
32,146 mi
Pass
93.0%
Fail
6.1%
PRS
0.7%
Avg mileage at test
25,938 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,160 MOT tests, the Q3 S Line 35 Tfsi returns 92.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 24,124, 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 →
22–34
out of 50
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Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
93 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
86 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
80 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
70 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Wiper blade defective
29 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
23 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
21 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
16 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
14 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
14 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 3 failures
£160–£300
If every one of this Q3 S Line 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 →
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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 Q3 S Line 35 Tfsi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
93.2%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 93.2% — a 0.2-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, 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
93.0%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 93.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: less than 1.5 mm thick, has a cut in excess of the…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 25,938 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (93.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (93.0% pass). That's a 0.2-point spread across 2,620 older tests and 3,581 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.
Item 01 · 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
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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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 a Q3 S Line 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.
