Pass rate
76.0%
Around average — 3.4 pts ahead of the 72.6% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 391 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £56–£181
2003 Audi S3 MOT pass rate
- 2003
- typical 131,148 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Brakes
23.0% of faults · 20.9% nationally
mostly worn pads and discs, corroded pipes and a handbrake that will not hold.
Part only £25–£55 for Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded. What fitting it takes →
Which year to buy
- Best 2023 98.1% pass
- Avoid 2006 73.8% pass
Across the 22 years on record, a spread of 24.3 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 71.1%
- Typical mileage
- 131k mi
The 2003 Audi S3 MOT pass rate is 76.0% of its MOT tests — 3.4 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. Brakes is the biggest single reason it fails, at 23.0% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Emissions & leaks: 2.1× the national share
Emissions & leaks make up 11.5% of everything recorded on the 2003 Audi S3, against 5.5% nationally — 6.0 points above. Brakes are still the single largest share at 23.0%, but at 20.9% nationally that one is ordinary. A smoky diesel or a leaking joint fails on emissions more often than on wear, so ask for a recent emissions printout.
- Beats its own age and mileage. Once you allow for how old and how far these cars have been driven, the expected pass rate is 72.6% and this one manages 76.0% — 3.4 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 13% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Audi S3? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2003 Audi S3 compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.6%, so this figure is 3.4 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 71.1%. The median 2003 Audi S3 in this dataset had covered 131,148 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 77.8% of the time, April–September 73.9%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated", noted on 7.93% of tests.
- 391 recorded tests behind this page.
- 76.0% overall pass rate, 71.1% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Audi S3, the average is 87.2% — best year 2023 (98.1%), worst 2006 (73.8%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 391
- Typical mileage (median)
- 131,148 mi
- Make and model
- Audi S3
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Body Panel Repair
Typically a garage job — get quotes before committing.
Does mileage affect the S3 MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 66% so small gaps stay visible.
Where the Audi S3 is most common
Across all S3 model years on record (2000–2023): 10,310 Audi S3 cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 18,147 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 390 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 390 | 91.9% |
| 2 | Aberdeen (AB) | 262 | 83.8% |
| 3 | Glasgow (G) | 243 | 88.7% |
| 4 | Sheffield (S) | 188 | 89.2% |
| 5 | Bradford (BD) | 186 | 93.4% |
| 6 | Reading (RG) | 185 | 87.0% |
| 7 | Peterborough (PE) | 184 | 87.4% |
| 8 | Manchester (M) | 181 | 91.3% |
| 9 | Guildford (GU) | 176 | 84.4% |
| 10 | Derby (DE) | 167 | 85.8% |
| 11 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 166 | 88.1% |
| 12 | Leeds (LS) | 166 | 86.8% |
| 13 | Leicester (LE) | 165 | 88.4% |
| 14 | Bristol (BS) | 162 | 80.3% |
| 15 | Nottingham (NG) | 161 | 86.7% |
| 16 | Chelmsford (CM) | 146 | 84.8% |
| 17 | Edinburgh (EH) | 145 | 87.0% |
| 18 | High Wycombe (HP) | 141 | 91.3% |
| 19 | Crawley (RH) | 137 | 89.3% |
| 20 | Coventry (CV) | 130 | 91.9% |
The twenty areas with the most Audi S3 cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the S3
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 91 | 78.0% |
| East of England | 54 | 77.8% |
| North West | 46 | 84.8% |
| South West | 45 | 64.4% |
| West Midlands | 40 | 77.5% |
| Yorkshire | 33 | 81.8% |
| East Midlands | 27 | 70.4% |
| Scotland | 15 | 60.0% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2003 S3
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2003 S3
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 4.6% of tests
“registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
Check the exhaust and emissions 3.8% of tests
“catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
-
Check the coil springs 3.1% of tests
“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.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2003 S3 through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £56–£181 — and 13% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £56–£181
- Cheapest common item: registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the…
- £5–£20
- Dearest common item: joints constant velocity boot severely…
- £80–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 20%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 13%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 391 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the S3, side by side
22 model years on record, from 2000 to 2023. Across them the pass rate runs from 73.8% to 98.1% — a spread of 24.3 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 77.8% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2001 80.1% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2002 80.6% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2003 76.0%joints constant velocity boot…
- 2006 73.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 81.4% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2008 82.4% joints constant velocity boot…
- 2009 82.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2010 82.8% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2011 81.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2012 84.1% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2013 87.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2014 88.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2015 91.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 89.5% brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick
- 2017 92.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 87.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 92.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 92.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2021 93.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2022 92.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2023 98.1% windscreen damaged but not…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2003 Audi S3 with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2003 cars with a similar record
- Land Rover Range Rover 76.0%
- Land Rover Discovery 76.1%
- Toyota RAV4 75.9%
- Toyota Rav-4 75.9%
- SEAT Leon 75.8%
- Land Rover Defender 75.7%
Closest pass rates among 2003 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2003 Audi S3 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 1,112 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 259 | 23.00% | 20.89% | +2.11 |
| Suspension | 230 | 20.40% | 20.98% | −0.58 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 145 | 12.90% | 12.21% | +0.69 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 129 | 11.50% | 5.52% | +5.98 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 122 | 10.80% | 5.57% | +5.23 |
| Tyres | 116 | 10.30% | 19.76% | −9.46 |
| Steering | 48 | 4.30% | 2.57% | +1.73 |
| Visibility | 26 | 2.30% | 4.97% | −2.67 |
| Non-component advisories | 21 | 1.90% | 4.18% | −2.28 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 16 | 1.40% | 1.76% | −0.36 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated Body, chassis, structure | Minor | 7.9% | £80–250 |
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.6% | £5–20 |
| Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 3.8% | £60–250 |
| Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | Major | 3.6% | £80–250 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 3.1% | £25–65 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Major | 3.1% | £80–180 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 2.8% | £60–250 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 2.6% | £30–80 |
| Catalyst emissions carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 2.3% | £60–250 |
| Service brake performance excessively binding Brakes | Major | 2.3% | £60–150 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 24.6% | £80–180 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 18.2% | £45–95 |
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 14.3% | £200–700 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 11.0% | £40–150 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 9.5% | £45–110 |
| Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 8.2% | £180–450 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 7 | 100.0% | 56,828 mi |
| 60-90k | 22 | 81.8% | 77,534 mi |
| 90-120k | 107 | 76.6% | 107,418 mi |
| 120k+ | 255 | 74.5% | 158,105 mi |
Source: 391 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2003 S3 MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2003 Audi S3?
76.0% of the 391 2003 Audi S3 tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.6% for cars first used in 2003. First-attempt pass rate: 71.1%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2003 Audi S3?
The three most recorded items are joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (7.93%), registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.60%), catalyst emissions lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (3.84%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2003 Audi S3 MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 100.0% of the time, falling to 74.5% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2003 Audi S3 in this dataset had covered 131,148 mi.
Does the season affect the 2003 Audi S3 MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 77.8% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 73.9%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.