Audi Q3 MOT pass rate & common failures
The Audi Q3 appears in 669,078 MOT tests spanning model years 2009–2025, and 87.9% of them passed. Against small SUVs of a similar age (14.2% fail rate), the Q3 comes out 2.1pp better. Its most common failure areas are tyres, suspension and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Q3 years
Ranked across Q3 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2022 (93.8% pass rate); the weakest is 2011 (80.8%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (4.8%) and suspension (4.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 22,370 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.3% versus 5.7%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 7.1pp more often than hybrid ones (14.6% vs 7.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 10.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Q3 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2,966 | 80.8% | 19.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 40,857 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 70,186 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 81,344 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 82,246 | 85.8% | 14.2% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 93,712 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 89,065 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 69,447 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 60,452 | 93.2% | 6.9% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 40,989 | 93.6% | 6.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 24,584 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 12,722 | 93.8% | 6.2% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 478 | 96.9% | 3.1% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.8% | 31,927 |
| 2 | Suspension | 4.7% | 31,723 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 15,808 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.1% | 14,061 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.8% | 11,938 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 7,818 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.5% | 3,359 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.4% | 2,311 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 22,370 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 19,426 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 10,040 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 8,909 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 8,762 |
| 6 | Washers | 7,040 |
| 7 | Wipers | 6,357 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 5,868 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.3% | 162,519 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.2% | 121,888 |
| 3 | Suspension | 13.4% | 89,611 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.0% | 59,970 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.0% | 20,054 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.0% | 6,442 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 137,312 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 258,207 | 10.2% |
| 60-90k | 169,504 | 15.4% |
| 90-120k | 74,054 | 19.4% |
| 120-150k | 22,763 | 21.7% |
| 150k+ | 7,184 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 379,619 | 14.6% |
| Petrol | 286,791 | 8.9% |
| Hybrid | 2,666 | 7.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 104,721 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | 119,951 | 10.8% |
| 2023 | 135,517 | 12.2% |
| 2024 | 147,731 | 12.8% |
| 2025 | 161,158 | 13.6% |
What to check before buying a Audi Q3
- Tyres (4.8% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Suspension (4.7% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (2.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi Q3?
87.9% of the 669,078 Audi Q3 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.1% fail rate, across model years 2009–2025.
What does the Audi Q3 most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.8% of tests, then suspension (4.7%).
Which Q3 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.8% and 2011 the weakest at 80.8%, from 12,722 and 2,966 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Q3 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.3% for 150k+, a 17.6-point difference.
Is the hybrid or diesel Q3 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 7.5% of the time against 14.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 669,078 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.