Audi
3,314 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Q3 S Line 40 Tfsi Quattro S As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 16.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
94.1%
Pass-after-fix
0.9%
Fail
4.9%
Avg miles
29,142
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 · 3,314 tests
Pass rate climbs 2.5 points across the cohorts — newer Q3 S Line 40 Tfsi Quattro S A examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
93.8%
Fail
5.1%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
30,145 mi
Pass
96.2%
Fail
3.3%
PRS
0.2%
Avg mileage at test
23,196 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,675 MOT tests, the Q3 S Line 40 Tfsi Quattro S-A returns 92.7% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A tyre with the cords showing and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 23,428, 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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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
42 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
38 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
36 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
34 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
28 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
11 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
10 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
6 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
5 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
£200–£350
If every one of this Q3 S Line 40 Tfsi Quattro S A'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. A 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Audi Q3 S Line 40 Tfsi Quattro S A makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
96.2%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 96.2% — a 2.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 23,196 miles — roughly 7K 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 cut in excess of the… — 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
93.8%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 93.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, less than 1.5 mm thick, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 30,145 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (96.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (93.8% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 2,835 older tests and 479 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
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 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
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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 40 Tfsi Quattro S A 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.
