MOT performance

Audi A3 petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures

Of 420,192 MOT tests on petrol Audi A3s in 2023–2024 (on average 8.6 years old at test, median 56,997 miles), 79.5% passed first time, against 70.1% of 420,961 diesel Audi A3 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Audi A3s failed 26% less often than comparable cars — 0.74× against 0.81× for the Audi A3 as a whole.

420,192 MOT tests on 219,897 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto

Check a specific car's MOT history and running costs

At a glance

Audi A3 petrol MOT results at a glance
Figure	Value	Basis
First-time pass rate	79.5%	±0.1 pts (95%), n = 420,192
All Audi A3s	75.0%	n = 855,563
Failures vs similar cars	0.74×	same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Audi A3 overall 0.81×
Tests with a dangerous defect	6.8%	n = 420,192
Average age at test	8.6 years	n = 420,192
Registration years covered	1996–2022	DVSA first-use date

Petrol against the other Audi A3 fuels

Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 2.2 years younger on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.

Audi A3 MOT results by fuel
Fuel	Tests	Average age	First-time pass	vs similar cars	Dangerous
Diesel	420,961	10.8 yrs	70.1%	-13%	9.7%
Petrol	420,192	8.6 yrs	79.5%	-26%	6.8%
Hybrid	14,401	4.1 yrs	85.4%	+8%	7.1%

Where petrol Audi A3s differ

No single MOT area stands out: the petrol Audi A3's difference from the model (-8% on the adjusted failure ratio) is spread across the test.

Audi A3 petrol MOT failures by area, against the model overall
Area	Petrol (vs similar)	All Audi A3s (vs similar)
Tyres	6.8% (+4%)	7.6% (+8%)
Lights, reflectors and electrical	6.0% (-44%)	8.0% (-35%)
Suspension	5.7% (-29%)	8.3% (-18%)
Brakes	4.0% (-36%)	5.6% (-26%)
Noise, emissions and leaks	2.7% (-18%)	3.1% (-10%)
Driver's view of the road	2.5% (-46%)	3.0% (-38%)
Body, chassis and structure	2.3% (-21%)	2.9% (-25%)
Seat belts and airbags	0.7% (-15%)	1.0% (-10%)
Registration plates and VIN	0.3% (+12%)	0.4% (+2%)
Steering	0.3% (-81%)	0.4% (-81%)
Road wheels	0.2% (-25%)	0.3% (-28%)

Most common petrol Audi A3 failure items

Most common petrol Audi A3 MOT failure items
Item	Area	Share of tests
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	2.48%
Coil spring: fractured or broken	Suspension	1.94%
Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	1.59%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	1.53%
Condition: has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	1.35%

Pass rate by age, by fuel

Audi A3 MOT pass rate by age and fuel
Age at test (years)	petrol pass rate (tests)	diesel pass rate (tests)	hybrid pass rate (tests)
3-4	89.3% (62,988)	86.7% (12,806)	85.8% (3,241)
5-6	87.5% (84,409)	84.7% (34,667)	84.3% (1,819)
7-8	85.1% (77,923)	80.4% (76,403)	83.7% (2,850)
9-10	79.8% (48,860)	74.2% (84,037)	86.0% (550)
11-12	70.0% (28,460)	65.7% (70,995)	—
13-15	64.0% (50,752)	60.7% (85,411)	—
16+	58.5% (44,613)	55.5% (53,700)	—

Audi A3 by registration year

Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.

2001 Audi A3 · 59.3%
2002 Audi A3 · 57.1%
2003 Audi A3 · 55.5%
2004 Audi A3 · 52.4%
2005 Audi A3 · 55.5%
2006 Audi A3 · 56.1%
2007 Audi A3 · 58.5%
2008 Audi A3 · 59.6%
2009 Audi A3 · 62.4%
2010 Audi A3 · 63.3%
2011 Audi A3 · 65.5%
2012 Audi A3 · 68.0%
2013 Audi A3 · 74.2%
2014 Audi A3 · 78.4%
2015 Audi A3 · 81.6%
2016 Audi A3 · 84.7%
2017 Audi A3 · 86.1%
2018 Audi A3 · 87.8%
2019 Audi A3 · 88.2%
2020 Audi A3 · 89.2%
2021 Audi A3 · 89.2%

What this does and doesn't tell you

Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.

Check a specific petrol Audi A3

Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.

UK number plate or 17-character VIN

About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.