Audi S3 MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 96,794 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 27.7%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Audi S3 MOT Reliability Overview
The Audi S3 is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 96,794 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 22 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 72.3% and a failure rate of 27.7%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Audi S3 earns a "Very Good" reliability rating. The average Audi S3 presents for MOT with approximately 76,543 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2017 models achieve the highest pass rate at 91.1%, while 1999 models have the lowest at 54.2%. This 36.9 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Audi S3 is Suspension, affecting 22.9% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Tyres at 17.3%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 16.7%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
Based on MOT data, 2014 models have the highest pass rate at 86.6%.
Based on 2024 MOT test results only — the most recent data available. "Built" = year of manufacture. Cars need their first MOT at 3 years old, so the newest cars shown are from ~3 years ago.
Bar chart showing pass rate by manufacture year from 2007 to 2014
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 15 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Audi S3 vintages degrade over time, from age 2 to 23 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Audi S3. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 20 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Audi S3 shows a moderate increase in MOT failures after warranty. The 30% increase is typical — plan for gradual maintenance cost increases. Peak failure occurs at age 12 (39.5% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 27.9% | 27,012 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 23.7% | 22,924 |
| 3 | Tyres | 20.5% | 19,846 |
| 4 | Brakes | 18.0% | 17,453 |
| 5 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 5.5% | 5,276 |
| 6 | Driver's View Of The Road | 4.6% | 4,500 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.4% | 3,320 |
| 8 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 2.4% | 2,332 |
| 9 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 1.8% | 1,732 |
| 10 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.8% | 1,714 |
| 11 | Visibility | 1.0% | 952 |
| 12 | Non-component Advisories | 0.8% | 791 |
| 13 | Road Wheels | 0.7% | 697 |
| 14 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.6% | 628 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 76,543 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 3.65 | 27.9% | 27,012 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 3.09 | 23.7% | 22,924 |
| Tyres | 2.68 | 20.5% | 19,846 |
| Brakes | 2.36 | 18.0% | 17,453 |
| Visibility | 0.74 | 5.6% | 5,452 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.71 | 5.5% | 5,276 |
| Steering | 0.45 | 3.4% | 3,320 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.31 | 2.4% | 2,332 |
| Body & Structure | 0.23 | 1.8% | 1,732 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.23 | 1.8% | 1,714 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.11 | 0.8% | 791 |
| Wheels | 0.09 | 0.7% | 697 |
| Seat Belts | 0.08 | 0.6% | 628 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Audi S3 has 76,543 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Audi S3 has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.62% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Audi S3 MOT Data
The Audi S3 is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 96,794 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 22 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 72.3% and a failure rate of 27.7%, which is above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Audi S3 owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and tyres for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific S3 is likely to perform.
Suspension — 22.9% of failures
Suspension issues account for 22.9% of MOT failures on the Audi S3. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Tyres — 17.3% of failures
Tyres issues account for 17.3% of MOT failures on the Audi S3. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 16.7% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 16.7% of MOT failures on the Audi S3. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi S3?
Based on 96,794 MOT tests in our database, the Audi S3 has an overall pass rate of 72.3% (27.7% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Audi S3?
The top 3 reasons a Audi S3 fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (22.9%), 2. Tyres (17.3%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (16.7%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Audi S3 reliable?
With a 27.7% MOT failure rate, the S3 is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Audi S3?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (22.9%); Tyres (17.3%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (16.7%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.