Reliability report
Audi Q3 reliability and common faults
Based on 143,117 roadworthiness tests, led by the UK MOT. Each country is compared only with its own average for cars of the same age.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · MOT
18.0%
fail rate · average 20.7%
much better than average
108,413 MOT tests (DVSA)
🇳🇱 Netherlands · APK
32.1%
with defects · average 41.6%
much better than average
30,007 APK inspections (RDW)
🇱🇹 Lithuania · inspection
78.4%
first-time pass · average 70.3%
much better than average
4,697 inspections
Testing regimes differ from country to country – don’t compare the figures between countries; compare each one only with its own average. MOT data: contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Weak spots
What goes wrong on the Audi Q3
How often each area fails compared with the average car of the same age (vertical line = average, 100%). Red – more often than average.
Wheels
Plates and identification
Seat belts and airbags
Suspension
Tyres
Visibility
Exhaust and emissions
Brakes
Lights and electrics
Body and structure
Steering
Most common test failures
- 1Tyre pressure not at correct value
- 2Tyre(s) with tread depth of 1.6 to 2.5 mm
- 3Tyre insufficient tread
- 4Low beam incorrectly adjusted
- 5Mechanical parts of the brake system show wear
- 6Windscreen wiper system gives insufficient visibility
- 7Tyre damaged
- 8Spring broken or cracked
- 9Seatbelt damaged
- 10Rust damage on axle, wheel guide component or reaction rod
- 11Tyre pressure not equal on one axle
- 12Reflector defective
Results by vehicle age
| Age | 🇬🇧 MOT fail rate | 🇳🇱 APK defects |
|---|---|---|
| 3–5 years | 7.5% avg 9.9% | 21.8% avg 27.0% |
| 6–8 years | 12.2% avg 15.3% | 28.6% avg 36.7% |
| 9–11 years | 21.3% avg 22.9% | 35.0% avg 44.4% |
| 12–15 years | 25.9% avg 30.3% | 39.9% avg 55.4% |
🇱🇹 First-time pass rate in Lithuania – by year of manufacture
| Year | Q3 | Average for year | Inspections |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 91.1% | 86.7% | 113 |
| 2020 | 83.3% | 78.6% | 96 |
| 2019 | 87.6% | 83.2% | 201 |
| 2018 | 78.7% | 79.5% | 328 |
| 2017 | 79.3% | 76.6% | 391 |
| 2016 | 71.7% | 72.8% | 527 |
| 2015 | 75.6% | 71.1% | 656 |
| 2014 | 81.7% | 68.0% | 454 |
| 2013 | 81.0% | 65.9% | 767 |
| 2012 | 76.1% | 63.7% | 1,051 |
| 2011 | 77.9% | 61.2% | 95 |
Audi Q3 – FAQs
How reliable is the Audi Q3?+
In the UK the Audi Q3 fails 18.0% of MOT tests, against an average of 20.7% for cars of the same age – much better than average. In the Netherlands, inspectors found defects at 32.1% of APK inspections (average there 41.6%) – much better than average. In Lithuania 78.4% pass their roadworthiness test first time (average for those years there 70.3%) – much better than average.
What goes wrong most often on the Audi Q3?+
Compared with the average car of the same age, testers find faults more often in these areas: wheels, seat belts and airbags, suspension.
What should I check when buying a used Audi Q3?+
The most common inspection failures: Tyre pressure not at correct value; Tyre(s) with tread depth of 1.6 to 2.5 mm; Tyre insufficient tread; Low beam incorrectly adjusted; Mechanical parts of the brake system show wear. Before you buy, also check the free MOT history on GOV.UK and the car’s history by reg or VIN (mileage, damage, theft).
More Audi models
Sources: anonymised MOT test results (DVSA) – contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; APK inspection defects (RDW, open data); Lithuanian roadworthiness test results (data.gov.lt). Initial tests only; retests are not counted. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons (licence).