85.2%
Audi S3 pass rate
Used Audi S3 buying guide
In 2025, Audi S3 cars passed 85.2% of 7,338 initial MOT tests, 12.9 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific S3? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Audi S3 MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+12.9
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the S3 sits 116th of 575 models in the data. Audi as a brand averaged 78.5%, so this model runs 6.8 points ahead of its own brand. Audi S3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 77.2%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Audi S3 MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the S3 compares with similar cars.
S3 fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Audi S3 cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 0% of tests.
Where the S3 fails its MOT
Where Audi S3 cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (7%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (6.1%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (5.2%). See every common S3 MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Audi S3 that failed, not a claim that every S3 has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used S3?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 25% of S3 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. 16.5% of S3 failure items.
3
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 15.3% of S3 failure items.
4
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 12.3% of S3 failure items.
5
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 11.8% of S3 failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Audi S3 failures cluster around tyres and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact S3 you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Audi history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Audi models
The most-tested Audi models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the S3.
Used Audi S3 FAQs
Is the Audi S3 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 an 85.2% first-time pass rate for the Audi S3 across 7,338 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Audi S3 cars fail their MOT more often?
Audi S3 cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 90.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 77.2%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Audi S3?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and suspension. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check an Audi S3'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.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.