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Audi A3, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

451,913 Audi A3s are licensed in the UK, the 13th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 75.9% of initial MOT tests, 3.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific A3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Audi A3 at the MOT

75.9% of 420,947 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the A3 255th of 575 models. Audi A3s aged 3 to 5 years passed 88.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 64.7%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Audi A375.9%
  • All Audi modelsThe A3 is 2.6 pts behind78.5%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Audi A3 tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years52,789 tests88.2%
  • 6 to 10 years169,786 tests82.8%
  • 11 years and over183,355 tests64.7%

Where A3s fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Audi A3 tests in 2025.

  • Suspension23.9%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment20.1%
  • Tyres18.4%
  • Brakes14.6%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks6.6%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (6.8%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (6.5%) and linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (4%).

The MOT page lists every common A3 MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Audi A3 MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The A3's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.23.9% of A3 failure items

  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.20.1% of A3 failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.18.4% of A3 failure items

Audi A3s in the UK

451,913 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Audi. The number licensed has grown 29% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
+29%from 351,116 licensed
Typical year of first use
2016half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2016 or earlier
First registered in 2025
22,834against 42,695 in 2015
Declared off the road
30,8716.4% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Audi A3s since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014351,116
End of 2015381,452
End of 2016406,600
End of 2017423,173
End of 2018430,735
End of 2019431,485
End of 2020428,194
End of 2021434,172
End of 2022438,086
End of 2023444,779
End of 2024451,043
End of 2025452,622
End of June 2026451,913

How old they are

Licensed Audi A3s by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 9,722 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
202521,53122,834
202425,88827,023
202325,43526,667
202216,94318,181
202119,53121,120
202014,49415,453
201916,94218,336
201822,36824,735
201728,34131,574
201634,08237,954
201537,85242,695
201437,082
201326,771
201223,603
201118,877
201020,725
200917,921
200813,627
20079,972
20068,176

37,852 A3s first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 42,695 first registered that year.

A3 engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 35% of Audi A3 MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 20%. Petrol accounts for 51% of licensed A3s and diesel for 41%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 420,873 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre35%
  • 1.6 litre20.1%
  • 1.4 litre16.5%
  • 1.5 litre12.4%
  • 1.0 litre6%

Fuel type, licensed A3s

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol231,35451%
Diesel186,89141%
Plug-in hybrid32,9907%
Hybrid electric6690.1%
Gas9<0.1%

Audi A3 recalls

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Audi A3. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every A3 is affected.

  1. Aug 2025 R/2025/387

    Stop-drive TAKATA PSAN

    A3s built Oct 2005 to Dec 2012 · 258 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Urgent Safety Warning - Do Not Drive Your Vehicle Affected vehicles were originally allocated to or used for an extended period of time in a region with a climate zone considered to as HIGH RISK. Certain front airbags contain an ageing inflator propellant that may explode when deployed due to long-term exposure to heat and humidity. If the airbag inflator explodes metal fragments may be ejected causing life-threatening or fatal injuries to anyone in the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Affected airbags will be replaced. You can contact Audi's dedicated Takata Stop Drive helpline at 0113 526 9646 (MONDAY to FRIDAY 9:00AM to 5:00PM.

  2. Aug 2024 R/2024/312

    Replacing TAKATA driver airbag

    A3s built Jun 2005 to Nov 2012 · 207 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On imported Audi vehicles previously used in a warm climate zone and fitted with TAKATA driver airbag manufactured within a specific period it is possible that the gas generator housing may cause small metal parts to become dislodged from the housing and potentially injure the driver or a passenger.
    Remedy
    As a precautionary safety measure it is necessary to replace the gas generator in the airbag unit on the driver side of the vehicle.

  3. Aug 2023 R/2023/254

    On affected vehicles an electrical connector for the power supply for the fuse carrier in the interior of the vehicle may have not been installed correctly

    A3s built Mar 2020 to May 2023 · 104,162 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check the electrical connection and secure if necessary.

  4. Oct 2022 R/2022/303

    Restraining capacity of the belt system for the front seats may be lower than intended in the event of an accident

    A3s built Sep 2021 to Nov 2021 · 174 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The restraining capability of the belt system for the front seats may be lower than intended in the event of an accident.
    Remedy
    As a precautionary safety measure it is necessary to replace both front seat belts. Advice is given against transporting children on the front passenger seat until the seat belts have been replaced.

  5. Apr 2022 R/2022/085

    The fuse in the high-voltage system may have been manufactured with an insufficient quantity of extinguishing sand

    A3s built Oct 2020 to Feb 2022 · 3,656 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The fuse in the high-voltage system (HV system) in vehicles built within a limited period may have been manufactured with an insufficient quantity of extinguishing sand.
    Remedy
    Insulation must be fitted above the switching unit for the high-voltage battery.

  6. Sep 2021 R/2021/323

    The bolted connection on the input rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal can be come loose

    A3s built Aug 2020 to May 2021 · 11 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The bolted connection of the pull rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal may come loose resulting in a loss of all service braking ability.
    Remedy
    Vehicles are not to be driven and the bolted connection of the input rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal must be checked and if necessary retightened.

  7. Aug 2019 R/2019/263

    The camshaft adjuster belt pulley may break or the housing bolts may come loose

    A3s built Jan 2014 to Sep 2014 · 133 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The belt pulley for the camshaft adjuster may break or the bolts for the camshaft adjuster housing may come loose
    Remedy
    The camshaft adjuster must be replaced on the affected vehicles

  8. Feb 2019 R/2019/066

    Possible discrepancy in the manufacturing process of the centre rear seat head restraint

    A3s built Apr 2018 to Jun 2018 · 1,573 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The centre rear head restraint may not be to specification.
    Remedy
    Check the head restraint and replace if necessary.
How to check a specific A3 for recalls

A3 vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Audi models

The most-tested Audi models in 2025, against the A3's 75.9% MOT pass rate.

All 24 Audi models

Audi A3 FAQs

How many Audi A3s are there in the UK?

451,913 Audi A3s were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 30,871 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Audi A3 reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 75.9% first-time pass rate for the Audi A3 across 420,947 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Audi A3 had any recalls?

14 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Audi A3. The most recent was published in August 2025. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Audi A3?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check an Audi A3's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found an A3?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Audi history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Audi VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.