Pass rate, every year
433,742 tests across 13 model years, 2011–2023.
+6.1 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
433,742 tests across 13 model years, 2011–2023.
+6.1 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2023 97.5%
The strongest of the 13 years on record. See the 2023 page →
Worst year to buy
2011 79.2%
18.3 points below the 2023 peak. See the 2011 page →
The Audi Q3 MOT pass rate is 87.1%, +6.1 percentage points above the UK average. That is 433,742 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2011 and 2023. This page lists the most common Audi Q3 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Audi Q3 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Audi Q3 passed on its first attempt in 85.3%, and its overall record sits +6.1 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Audi Q3 in the 2023–2025 data: 433,742 tests across 13 model years (2011–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 433,742 |
| Overall pass rate | 87.1% |
| Passed on first attempt | 85.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 59,030 mi |
| Model years covered | 2011–2023 (13 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +6.1 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Audi Q3, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 34% |
| Visibility | 27% |
| Tyres | 23% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 6% |
| Brakes | 5% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 0% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 0% |
Shares are over the Audi Q3's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 34% of the recorded Audi Q3 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Coil spring fractured or broken" (3.2%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (0.9%), "Suspension arm corroded and seriously weakened" (0.2%) among the Audi Q3's suspension faults.
Around 27% of the recorded Audi Q3 failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.6%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.5%) among the Audi Q3's visibility faults.
Around 23% of the recorded Audi Q3 failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.4%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (1.3%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (0.3%) among the Audi Q3's tyres faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Audi Q3, each with how many of the model's 433,742 tests it was noted on.
1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nail in tyre | 2.9% | 1.8% | 1.6× | £45–£95 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (433,742 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Q3 records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Audi Q3 model year on record is 2023 (97.5% across 323 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (79.2%). The gap between them is 18.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Audi Q3 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.2 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Q3 | 323 | 97.5% |
| 2022 Q3 | 9,968 | 94.2% |
| 2021 Q3 | 22,281 | 93.1% |
| 2020 Q3 | 39,247 | 93.6% |
| 2019 Q3 | 44,185 | 92.8% |
| 2018 Q3 | 41,139 | 89.8% |
| 2017 Q3 | 53,301 | 88.7% |
| 2016 Q3 | 56,271 | 85.9% |
| 2015 Q3 | 49,523 | 83.9% |
| 2014 Q3 | 49,038 | 82.3% |
| 2013 Q3 | 42,202 | 80.7% |
| 2012 Q3 | 24,483 | 79.9% |
| 2011 Q3 | 1,781 | 79.2% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Audi Q3's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Audi Q3.
the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”
Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Audi Q3. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
87.1% of the 433,742 recorded Audi Q3 MOT tests ended in a pass, +6.1 percentage points above the national average. 85.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
2023 is the strongest Audi Q3 year on record at 97.5%, while 2011 is the weakest at 79.2%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Audi Q3 failures are "Coil spring fractured or broken" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 6% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.