2025 MOT results
Audi S3 common problems
The most common reason a Audi S3 fails its MOT is a tyre worn below the legal limit, on 10.8% of its 1,082 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: emissions above the limit at 5.5% of failures against 1.9% expected; a split joint boot at 6.5% of failures against 2.5% expected; a bulge in a tyre at 4.9% of failures against 2.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 7,293 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 14.8% 1,082 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 5.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 35.6% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Audi S3 MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Audi S3 tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 10.8% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 10.3% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 9.5% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 7.9% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.3% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.5% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.3% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 4.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.7% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.4% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 4.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
10.8% of failures 8.5% expected somewhat more often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Cut tyre
10.3% of failures 8.3% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
9.5% of failures 6.1% expected 1.6 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Broken coil spring
7.9% of failures 6.5% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Split joint boot
6.5% of failures 2.5% expected 2.6 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Engine management light on
6.3% of failures 4.3% expected 1.5 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Audi S3, on 37.0% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 27.9%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 37.0% |
| Suspension | 23.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 21.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 18.2% |
| Brakes | 17.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.8% |
| Visibility | 10.4% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
35.6% of Audi S3 tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Audi S3s, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 14.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 5.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 2.6% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.3% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 2.2% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 1.9% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 1.6% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Audi S3 problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Audi S3?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm” is the most common: it appears on 10.8% of failed Audi S3 tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 37.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Audi S3 fail its MOT?
14.8% of Audi S3 tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 7,293 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 67 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Audi S3 than on other cars?
Yes. “Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits” appears on 5.5% of its failures against 1.9% for cars of the same age, and “Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.5% of its failures against 2.5% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Audi S3 aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 7,293 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.