Skip to content

Audi A4 vs Audi S 3: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Audi A4
76%
MOT pass rate · 568,515 vehicles
Audi S 3
83%
MOT pass rate · 5 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Audi A4 (76%) and Audi S 3 (83%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Audi A4 Audi S 3
MOT pass rate 76% 83% ✓
MOT failure rate 24% 17% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 1.9 1.2 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 2% ✓ 7%
Average mileage 133,841 mi 62,848 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 568,515 5

Most common faults

Audi A4

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  6. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Audi S 3

  1. Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
  2. Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Tyre worn on inside edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge tyre worn smooth on inside edge (5.2.3 (e))
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge Edges (5.2.3 (e))
  6. Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin Wearing off side brakes significantly faster than nearside. (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Audi A4 (76%) and Audi S 3 (83%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Audi A4 report Full Audi S 3 report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.