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Audi A4 vs Audi S3: 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 S3
79%
MOT pass rate · 5,862 vehicles
More reliable
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Audi S3 is the more reliable of the two — 79% pass first time versus 76%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Audi A4 Audi S3
MOT pass rate 76% 79% ✓
MOT failure rate 24% 21% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 1.9 1.7 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 2% 2%
Average mileage 133,841 mi 106,441 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 568,515 5,862

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 S3

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Front 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. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  6. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Audi S3 is the more reliable of the two — 79% pass first time versus 76%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Audi A4 report Full Audi S3 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.