UK vehicle statistics / Audi

How many Audi A3 cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 452,115 licensed and 30,808 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Audi A3 generic-model group.

Looking at a A3?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular A3 is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the A3 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 452,622 in 2025 Q4 and stand at 452,115 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 30,808 are declared SORN — 1 in 16 of the 482,923 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

A3 MOT pass rate

In 2024, 73.9% of 314,388 Audi A3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 88.3% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 58.7% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 4.8% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.7% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 3.6% of tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.3% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Audi A3 MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 4.8% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.7% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Anti-roll Bars — 3.6% of tests in 2024. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.3% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Check the actual A3 — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1452,11530,808
2025 Q4452,62230,095
2025 Q3451,71829,234
2025 Q2450,76828,492
2025 Q1450,56128,109
2024 Q4451,04327,020
2024 Q3452,33426,352
2024 Q2452,07225,956
2024 Q1449,25925,470
2023 Q4444,77924,488
2023 Q3442,74823,167
2023 Q2440,34022,533
2023 Q1437,79822,049
2022 Q4438,08621,571
2022 Q3436,49120,887
2022 Q2435,87120,534
2022 Q1433,68220,675
2021 Q4434,17220,399
2021 Q3435,24719,775
2021 Q2435,71919,905
2021 Q1431,08519,909
2020 Q4428,19419,308
2020 Q3427,25418,305
2020 Q2426,01218,401
2020 Q1426,21118,281
2019 Q4431,48516,938
2019 Q3433,65415,965
2019 Q2433,62015,600
2019 Q1432,18614,557
2018 Q4430,73513,903
2018 Q3429,58313,022
2018 Q2427,55912,604
2018 Q1425,82511,983
2017 Q4423,17311,566
2017 Q3422,12010,780
2017 Q2417,26310,404
2017 Q1413,3439,816
2016 Q4406,6009,216
2016 Q3399,3388,472
2016 Q2392,7547,980
2016 Q1389,9257,522
2015 Q4381,4526,934
2015 Q3376,3796,153
2015 Q2368,4385,705
2015 Q1362,6815,158
2014 Q4351,1174,629
2014 Q3347,2444,211

Other Audi models

See how many of every Audi model are left

Common questions

How many Audi A3 cars are left in the UK?

452,115 were licensed and 30,808 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Audi A3 cars are SORN?

30,808 are declared SORN — 1 in 16 of the 482,923 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the A3 disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 452,622 in 2025 Q4 and stand at 452,115 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 30,808 are declared SORN — 1 in 16 of the 482,923 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Audi A3 MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 73.9% of 314,388 Audi A3 MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the A3 fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (4.8% of tests), headlamp aim (3.7% of tests), anti-roll bars (3.6% of tests).

Does this say whether one A3 is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.