The Audi S3 passes its MOT first time on 81.0% of tests, 11.3 points higher than a typical car of the same age and mileage (69.7%). That puts it ahead of 96% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.
By year of first registration, the 2014 S3 does best (beats 99% of cars) and the 2022 worst (beats 64%).
Better than average on lights & electrics, suspension, tyres.
Watch these weak spots
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)2.0×as often as a typical car
MOT pass rate by age
First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.
Audi S3Typical car, same age & mileage
Best and worst years
By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.
All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
Engine
Years
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2007–2022
33,813
83.0%
Beats 97%
A
1.8 Petrol
2001–2003
4,128
64.7%
Beats 87%
A
Where it fails
Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Exhaust: 3.7% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 3.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.
Every MOT area
Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).
Lights & electrics
5.9% vs 12.7%
Suspension
5.7% vs 9.9%
Tyres
5.3% vs 6.7%
Emissions & leaks
3.7% vs 3.4%
Brakes
3.5% vs 7.4%
Body & structure
2.4% vs 3.9%
Visibility
1.9% vs 5.1%
Steering
0.6% vs 2.1%
Seat belts & airbags
0.6% vs 1.2%
Wheels
0.3% vs 0.4%
Buying one or MOT due? Check these
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)2.0× typical Check past MOT emissions readings in the car's history: rising readings can mean catalyst or sensor problems.
Tyre damage & cracking Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.
Coil springs Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil (often the bottom one) and listen for clunks over bumps.
Headlight aim Park facing a wall at night: both dipped beams should sit level and dip to the left.
Tyre tread depth Check every tyre, including the inner edge, has at least 3 mm of tread. Uneven wear can point to alignment or suspension problems.
Brake pads Ask when the pads were last replaced and look for a brake-wear warning on the dash.
Pass rate by mileage
First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.
Audi S3Typical car
Most common MOT failures
Item
This car
Typical
vs typical
Tyre damage & cracking
3.3%
3.8%
0.9×
Coil springs
2.5%
2.5%
1.0×
Headlight aim
2.3%
3.5%
0.6×
Exhaust emissions (catalyst)
2.1%
1.1%
2.0×
Tyre tread depth
2.1%
2.7%
0.8×
Drive shaft (CV) joints
1.3%
1.4%
0.9×
Brake pads
1.2%
1.9%
0.6×
Engine warning light
1.1%
1.2%
1.0×
Ball joint dust covers
1.0%
0.8%
1.3×
Windscreen washers
0.9%
2.3%
0.4×
Specific defects found
Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.
Defect
per 1,000
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
25.0
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
22.7
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
20.6
A tyre seriously damaged
19.7
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
14.7
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
13.8
A tyre cords visible or damaged
12.6
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
11.8
Check another car
Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.
Every year and engine
Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.
2022 Audi S31 engine89.9% passB
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,830
89.9%
Beats 64%
B
2021 Audi S31 engine90.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
4,555
90.8%
Beats 88%
A
2020 Audi S31 engine90.5% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,177
90.5%
Beats 86%
A
2015 Audi S31 engine88.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
1,236
88.9%
Beats 99%
A
2014 Audi S31 engine87.7% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
6,127
87.7%
Beats 99%
A
2013 Audi S31 engine85.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
1,921
85.9%
Beats 99%
A
2012 Audi S31 engine80.6% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
1,427
80.6%
Beats 98%
A
2011 Audi S31 engine77.5% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,463
77.5%
Beats 95%
A
2010 Audi S31 engine75.6% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
3,135
75.6%
Beats 95%
A
2009 Audi S31 engine74.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,362
74.8%
Beats 97%
A
2008 Audi S31 engine75.1% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,583
75.1%
Beats 98%
A
2007 Audi S31 engine71.7% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
2.0 Petrol
2,997
71.7%
Beats 96%
A
2003 Audi S31 engine61.7% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.8 Petrol
1,139
61.7%
Beats 80%
A
2002 Audi S31 engine65.9% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.8 Petrol
1,811
65.9%
Beats 89%
A
2001 Audi S31 engine65.8% passA
Engine
Tests
Pass rate
Rank
Grade
1.8 Petrol
1,178
65.8%
Beats 89%
A
FAQ
What is the Audi S3 MOT pass rate?
81.0% of MOT tests on the Audi S3 were passed first time, based on 37,941 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2001–2022. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 69.7% of the time.
Is the Audi S3 reliable?
On MOT results it rates A (excellent): it passes first time more often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 96% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.
Which Audi S3 year is best?
Among years with enough data, the 2014 S3 does best for its age and mileage: it beats 99% of cars on UK roads. The 2022 does worst: it beats 64%.
What are the most common MOT failures on the Audi S3?
The most common failure items are tyre damage & cracking, coil springs, headlight aim. Compared with similar cars, exhaust emissions (catalyst) comes up 2.0× as often.
How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.