Audi A3 — reliability by registration year

2001–2023 · 23 registration years · 404,391 first tests

2013 breaks the run — 1.8 pp better than the years either side 2012 breaks the run — 3.5 pp worse than the years either side

Registration years

First-attempt MOT results for every A3 registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.

Audi A3 first-attempt MOT results by registration year
Year First tests First-attempt pass Incl. PRS Most common failure
2023 917 92.3% 93.6%
2022 16,875 88.9% 90.4% Tyres — Condition (front) 36.7%
2021 19,629 88.5% 90.1% Tyres — Condition (front) 31.0%
2020 15,234 88.2% 90.0% Tyres — Condition (front) 24.9%
2019 19,953 86.2% 88.3% Tyres — Condition (front) 22.9%
2018 25,883 86.6% 88.7% Tyres — Condition (front) 19.2%
2017 32,467 84.9% 87.5% Tyres — Condition (front) 17.7%
2016 37,389 82.7% 86.0% Tyres — Condition (front) 15.5%
2015 40,074 80.2% 84.2% Tyres — Condition (front) 13.1%
2014 37,388 77.2% 81.6% Tyres — Condition (front) 11.8%
2013 26,090 73.1% 77.6% Coil spring (rear) 11.7%
1.8 pp better than the years either side What failed 2013 A3s most often: Coil spring (rear) (11.7%) · Tyres — Condition (front) (9.8%) · Linkage ball joint dust cover (front) (8.6%)
2012 24,045 65.3% 70.4% Coil spring (front) 14.0%
3.5 pp worse than the years either side What failed 2012 A3s most often: Coil spring (front) (14.0%) · Linkage ball joint dust cover (front) (11.3%) · Tyres — Condition (front) (10.0%)
2011 19,732 64.4% 69.5% Coil spring (front) 12.6%
2010 22,121 61.8% 67.3% Coil spring (front) 12.6%
2009 19,263 62.1% 68.3% Coil spring (front) 14.7%
2008 15,468 58.6% 66.1% Drive shafts — Joints (front) 16.0%
2007 11,651 58.2% 66.2% Drive shafts — Joints (front) 14.8%
2006 9,213 56.0% 63.7% Drive shafts — Joints (front) 18.8%
2005 5,785 55.8% 64.1% Drive shafts — Joints (front) 18.1%
2004 2,446 53.5% 62.0% Headlamp aim 14.4%
2003 1,174 57.3% 65.2% Headlamp aim 12.2%
2002 912 57.6% 65.7% Drive shafts — Joints (front) 13.2%
2001 682 64.4% 70.4%

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