Used car guide

2006 Audi A3: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2006 Audi A3s, from 9,748 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

9,748MOT tests in 2025
56%pass first time (all 2006 cars: 57%)
7,200typical miles a year
2.6×the usual rate for drive shaft (cv) joints

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2006 Audi A3s than on all cars registered in 2006.

  • Drive shaft (CV) joints2.6× usual
    Audi A3
    19.6% All 2006 cars
    7.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 8.7%, against 3.4% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£350 our estimate

    At the viewing: Drive slowly on full steering lock in both directions and listen for clicking. Look for split rubber boots behind the front wheels.

  • Suspension arm bushes and joints1.9× usual
    Audi A3
    20.7% All 2006 cars
    11.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.7%, against 2.3% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

  • Sub-frame1.7× usual
    Audi A3
    12.2% All 2006 cars
    7.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0.3% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Link ball joint covers2.1× usual
    Audi A3
    7.5% All 2006 cars
    3.6%

    Failed outright at MOT: 4.4%, against 2% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £60–£150 (one joint) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for knocking over bumps and check the rubber boots behind the wheels aren't split.

  • Suspension arm1.8× usual
    Audi A3
    7% All 2006 cars
    3.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.2%, against 0.3% of all 2006 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £120–£180 (one arm) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for clunks over bumps and feel for the steering wandering. Worn arm bushes show as cracked rubber near the wheels.

Better than most

Rigid brake pipes: 4.3% here, against 14.1% of all 2006 cars. Sidelights: 2.9% here, against 7% of all 2006 cars.

By area

The share of 2006 Audi A3 MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Suspension
    55% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    38% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Tyres
    37% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    35% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Driveshafts and joints
    20% of testsRough price £60–£350

    At the viewing: On full steering lock, drive slowly and listen for clicking from the front wheels.

  • Oil and fluid leaks
    16% of testsRough price £80–£600

    At the viewing: Look under the engine and on the ground where the car is usually parked for fresh oil or fluid.

Looking at a Audi A3?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2023951Tyres 21%
202217,771Tyres 32%
202120,621Tyres 30%
202015,780Tyres 29%
201920,857Tyres 29%
201826,892Tyres 29%
201733,712Tyres 29%
201638,712Tyres 30%
201541,485Tyres 30%
201438,607Tyres 31%
201326,952Tyres 33%
201224,856Suspension 41%
201120,520Suspension 46%
201023,082Suspension 49%
200920,114Suspension 49%
200816,251Suspension 51%
200712,204Suspension 52%
20056,094Suspension 54%
20042,576Suspension 54%
20031,234Suspension 52%
2002966Suspension 51%
2001725Suspension 48%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2006 Audi A3s registered in 2006. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score