Audi Q3 MOT failure rate and common faults
140,553 Audi Q3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 17.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 22.5% of the time, which makes the Audi Q3 22% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
17.6%
failed first time
140,553 MOT tests in 2025
-22%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 22.5%
44 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
76.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 87.8
What fails on a Audi Q3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Audi Q3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 48.6 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 32.1 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 20.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 19.1 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 15.3 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 14.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 12.1 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 10.7 |
| Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened | Suspension | 7.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 7.4 |
Audi Q3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11,538 | 7.4% | 11.4% | 26,400 |
| 2021 | 11,292 | 8.2% | 12.8% | 34,300 |
| 2020 | 12,593 | 8.9% | 14.1% | 39,100 |
| 2019 | 13,927 | 9.2% | 16.5% | 45,600 |
| 2018 | 12,605 | 15.2% | 19.1% | 53,900 |
| 2017 | 16,010 | 16.2% | 21.8% | 62,400 |
| 2016 | 16,288 | 20.3% | 25.1% | 72,300 |
| 2015 | 14,073 | 24.7% | 28.1% | 80,100 |
| 2014 | 13,667 | 27.4% | 31.4% | 89,400 |
| 2013 | 11,491 | 29.4% | 34.3% | 99,200 |
| 2012 | 6,596 | 30.5% | 36.6% | 105,700 |
Advisories to look for in a Audi Q3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Audi Q3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge283.9
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened159.3
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing148.0
- Brake pads: wearing thin106.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement95.4
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened66.2
Checking a used Audi Q3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Audi Q3 fails more often than average on suspension. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Audi Q3 cars tested: Petrol 50%, Diesel 48%. Average age at test 7.9 years, average recorded mileage 63,400.
Audi Q3 MOT questions
What is the Audi Q3 MOT failure rate?
17.6% of Audi Q3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 140,553 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 22.5% of the time, so the Audi Q3 was 22% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Audi Q3 MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 102 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 48.6 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Audi Q3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2019 registrations did best: 9.2% failed against an average of 16.5% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Audi Q3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Audi Q3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Audi models
Ranked close to the Audi Q3
- Jaguar E-Pacerank 41
- Honda Jazzrank 42
- BMW X3rank 43
- BMW 3 Seriesrank 45
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Audi Q3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.