Audi MOT pass rates and common failures

Audi A3, A1 and A4 are high-volume used buys. These MOT snapshots show pass rates and how defect notes split — not a verdict on one seller’s car.

MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating — it is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for each make and model in this age band. Use Compare for two models, or browse Audi MOT reports.

3.3 million Audi vehicles in the UK MOT source dataset (all registration years). In the 5–10 years old (registration era) age band: 3.6M MOT tests across all models — the same metric shown in the brand matrix drawer. Model cards below are per-model totals in that band.

Data created

Top Audi models by MOT test volume

The four models with the most MOT tests in our Audi lineup at 5–10 years. Pass rate and failure category split are public; defect codes and severity detail require credits.

Audi A3

782k MOT tests in age band · 88.5% pass rate

88.5%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare A3 with another model

Audi A1

582k MOT tests in age band · 86.5% pass rate

86.5%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare A1 with another model

Audi A4

478k MOT tests in age band · 86.5% pass rate

86.5%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare A4 with another model

Audi Q3

376k MOT tests in age band · 89.7% pass rate

89.7%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare Q3 with another model

What a full Audi A3 report looks like

Vehicle age: 5–10 years old (registration era). Pass rate and category split above are live age-band aggregates; the sections below show the report layout subscribers unlock.

Pass rate

88.5%

Live age-band stat

Maintenance compliance

74 / 100

Mileage-normalised score

Defects per 1k miles

7.1

vs age-band percentile

Common systemic components

  • Suspension arm bush worn excessively (1.1.11 (c))
  • Coil spring fractured or broken (1.1.2 (a))
  • Brake disc worn, pitted or scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  • Excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.1.3 (b))

Unlock DVSA-coded defects, severity splits, first-MOT patterns, and year-on-year trends for AUDI A3

More brand research

Audi MOT data — common questions

Does a good Audi MOT pass rate mean the car is reliable?

No. MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating. It is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for that Audi model in this 5–10 year band. It does not prove breakdowns, repair cost, or the condition of one seller’s car.

Which Audi models have the most MOT tests on this page?

The four highest-volume models in this age band are A3 (88.5% pass rate, 782k tests); A1 (86.5% pass rate, 582k tests); A4 (86.5% pass rate, 478k tests); Q3 (89.7% pass rate, 376k tests). Pass rate is a test outcome, not a ranking of the most reliable car.

Is this Audi page a registration MOT check?

No. This is make and model research from aggregated DVSA tests. For one vehicle, use GOV.UK MOT history. Use Compare to put two models on the same age band.