130,405 tests in 2025
Audi Q3 reliability and MOT pass rate
84.4% passed first time. The 15.6% fail rate is 7.0 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 58,117 miles.
Pass rate
84.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 15.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
58,117 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 32,321 | 7.1% |
| 6-9 years | 54,455 | 13.8% |
| 10-13 years | 42,787 | 24.2% |
| 14+ years | 437 | 27% |
What the Q3 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension319 dangerous45.4%
- Tyres6,964 dangerous34.1%
- Brakes2,410 dangerous16.7%
- Visibility6 dangerous11.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment24 dangerous11.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous7.9%
- Body, chassis, structure54 dangerous4.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.6%
Is the Q3 getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4.3 points to 16.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 106,099 | — | 12.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 114,445 | — | 14% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 104,256 | — | 15.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 118,259 | — | 16.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Q3 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Q3 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken5,559 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,857 tests
- 3Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1,985 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,787 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,762 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,284 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1,171 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1,145 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Q3 collects 2.5 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm20,539 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened14,534 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick11,564 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure11,471 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn7,996 tests
- 6Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak6,094 tests
- 7Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened5,602 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt4,811 tests
Questions
What is the Audi Q3 MOT pass rate?
84.4% of the 130,405 Audi Q3 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 15.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Audi Q3 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 5,559 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords". By section, suspension appears in 45.4% of failures, tyres appears in 34.1% of failures, brakes appears in 16.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.1%; at 14+ years it was 27%. The median Audi Q3 tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 58,117 miles.
Is the Audi Q3 getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4.3 points to 16.4% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Q3 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 10 safety recalls naming the Audi Q3: Audi Q3 recalls.
Other Audi models
Checking a particular Q3?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.