MOT comparison

Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 vs Audi A3 8V

How the Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 (3rd Gen) (2012–2018) and the Audi A3 8V (3rd Gen) (2012–2020) do at their MOTs, compared at the same mileage so a high-mileage car is never measured against a low-mileage one.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 (3rd Gen)

1,459,951

MOT tests compared · built 2012–2018

Passes more often in 0 of 14 mileage bands

Audi A3 8V (3rd Gen)

1,999,492

MOT tests compared · built 2012–2020

Passes more often in 14 of 14 mileage bands

MOT pass rate by mileage

Share of MOTs passed first time, at the mileage recorded at the test.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 Audi A3 8V

Under 10,000 miles 93.3% vs 94.9%

16,560 and 20,621 MOTs

10,000–20,000 miles 90.8% vs 92.1%

97,026 and 125,005 MOTs

20,000–30,000 miles 88.0% vs 90.1%

185,313 and 232,769 MOTs

30,000–40,000 miles 85.6% vs 88.6%

213,366 and 269,278 MOTs

40,000–50,000 miles 83.2% vs 86.8%

206,129 and 261,674 MOTs

50,000–60,000 miles 80.3% vs 84.6%

182,157 and 235,178 MOTs

60,000–70,000 miles 77.5% vs 82.6%

152,929 and 201,244 MOTs

70,000–80,000 miles 75.3% vs 80.9%

120,586 and 166,698 MOTs

80,000–90,000 miles 73.2% vs 79.3%

90,986 and 132,954 MOTs

90,000–100,000 miles 71.2% vs 77.9%

66,098 and 103,553 MOTs

100,000–125,000 miles 68.9% vs 76.1%

87,225 and 154,492 MOTs

125,000–150,000 miles 67.0% vs 74.4%

29,900 and 65,631 MOTs

150,000–175,000 miles 66.1% vs 73.5%

9,119 and 23,194 MOTs

175,000–200,000 miles 65.2% vs 71.1%

2,557 and 7,201 MOTs

Parts that fail more often

Only differences that hold across at least half of the mileage bands we could compare, and that are far too large to be chance, are listed. How we decide

Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176 fails more often on

Supplementary restraint system (SRS)

Fails about 5 times as often as the Audi A3 8V: 2.4% of MOTs against 0.52%.

In 12 of 14 mileage bands · Dashboard Warning Lights
Engine management light

Fails about twice as often as the Audi A3 8V: 3.4% of MOTs against 1.8%.

In 11 of 14 mileage bands · Dashboard Warning Lights
Rear coil spring

Fails about twice as often as the Audi A3 8V: 3.2% of MOTs against 1.4%.

In 10 of 14 mileage bands · Springs & Shocks

Audi A3 8V fails more often on

Shock absorbers

Fails over 20 times as often as the Mercedes-Benz A-Class W176: 1.6% of MOTs against 0.12%.

In 9 of 14 mileage bands · Springs & Shocks

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These are differences in real MOT results, not engineering verdicts. Owner mix differs between models (some are more often taxis, first cars or rural cars), which is why every figure compares cars at the same mileage. How we compare cars.

MOT records: DVSA MOT history, which contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See this the other way round.