Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 8.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,095 individual Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 85% first-time pass rate means roughly 15 in every 100 Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-As presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A tested had covered 38,057 miles and was built around 2020.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A sits 8.3 points above the national average, ranked 1,241 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-As at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A

1. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 5.6% of tests (3.32x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 7.8% of tests (2.78x the national rate for this defect)
3. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.6% of tests (1.21x the national rate for this defect)
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests
5. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1% of tests
6. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.7% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 0.6% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this defect)
8. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.5% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this defect)
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.5% of tests

From 1,094 DVSA-tracked Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 12.83% of these flagged Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A before it actually fails on it.

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 15.2% of tests (3.88x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 20.7% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 20.7% of tests, also fails
4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8% of tests, also fails
5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1% of tests
6. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.6% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.6% of tests
8. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 0.5% of tests
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.5% of tests
10. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.3% of tests

From 1,094 DVSA-tracked Audi A3 E-Tron 40 S-A tests, 2024.

Other Audi models

• Audi A3 - 78.1%
• Audi A4 - 76.3%
• Audi A1 - 79.5%
• Audi A6 - 81.9%
• Audi A5 - 80.4%
• Audi Tt - 78.8%
• Audi Q3 - 83.5%
• Audi Q5 - 84.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Audi Rs6 - 85.1%
• Land Rover Discovery Sport R-Dyn Se D A - 85%
• Land Rover Discovery Sport R-Dyn Hse D A - 85%
• Lexus Ls - 85%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque R-Dyn D A - 85%
• BMW 420 - 84.9%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate