Audi S3
Registered from 1999 to 2021.
About this model
The Audi S3 is a performance version of the Audi A3 small family car, produced by German automaker Audi since 1999. S3 variants of have been produced from the first generation through the fourth generation of Audi A3.
From the Wikipedia article Audi S3, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2014 2.0 petrol. 83 of 774 tests failed, 11%.
Better than 86% of 2014 cars. The typical one fails 17%, across 870 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 37% | 31 |
| Suspension | 25% | 21 |
| Brakes | 23% | 19 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 23% | 19 |
| Lights and electrics | 17% | 14 |
| Visibility | 7% | 6 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
Where it stands out against its peers
- Exhaust and emissions: failed more often than 91% of 2014 cars — 23% of its 83 failed tests, where an ordinary 2014 car has 8%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 37% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Suspension — 25% of its failures
- A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Brakes — 23% of its failures
- A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
- Exhaust and emissions — 23% of its failures
- Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
- Lights and electrics — 17% of its failures
- A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
- Visibility — 7% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 100–120k miles this one fails 13% of its inspections, against the 23% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–40k miles | 8% | 11% | 59 | |
| 40–60k miles | 11% | 15% | 216 | |
| 60–80k miles | 10% | 19% | 272 | |
| 80–100k miles | 12% | 21% | 153 | |
| 100–120k miles | 13% | 23% | 56 |
756 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 60k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2.0 petrol · 306 hp · 1575 kg · 2619 mm wheelbase · 7.9 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2020 | 2.0 petrol · 1587 kg · 2617 mm wheelbase · 7.7 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2019 | 2.0 petrol · 1588 kg · 2618 mm wheelbase · 7.8 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 2.0 petrol · 1563 kg · 2617 mm wheelbase · 7.7 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2017 | 2.0 petrol · 364 hp · 1543 kg · 2501 mm wheelbase · 6.3 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2016 | 2.0 petrol · 300 hp · 1537 kg · 2621 mm wheelbase · 6.6 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2015 | 2.0 petrol · 296 hp · 1530 kg · 2624 mm wheelbase · 6.7 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2014 | 2.0 petrol · 296 hp · 1522 kg · 2626 mm wheelbase · 6.7 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2013 | 2.0 petrol · 292 hp · 1521 kg · 2620 mm wheelbase · 6.9 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2010 | 2.0 petrol · 1562 kg · 2578 mm wheelbase · 8.2 L/100km (NEDC) |