Audi
1,463 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Q3 S Line 45 Tfsi Quattro S As pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 15.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
92.6%
Pass-after-fix
0.7%
Fail
5.9%
Avg miles
29,574
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 · 1,463 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Q3 S Line 45 Tfsi Quattro S A examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
92.6%
Fail
5.9%
PRS
0.8%
Avg mileage at test
30,109 mi
Pass
92.4%
Fail
6.1%
PRS
0.0%
Avg mileage at test
24,175 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 658 MOT tests, the Q3 S Line 45 Tfsi Quattro S-A returns 93.8% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 22,841, 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
17 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
15 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
12 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
10 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
9 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade defective
6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
4 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
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
£140–£255
If every one of this Q3 S Line 45 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. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Audi Q3 S Line 45 Tfsi Quattro S A makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
92.6%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 92.6% — a 0.3-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
92.4%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 92.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.6% 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 24,175 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (92.6% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (92.4% pass). That's a 0.3-point spread across 131 older tests and 1,332 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
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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 45 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.
