What are the inspection figures for Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf, per age band?

Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf: 3-5 years: 93 versus 71. 6-8 years: 73 versus 74. 9-11 years: 71 versus 65. 12-14 years: 88 versus 86. 15-19 years: 94 versus 95. 100 = country average for that age band in this country.

Are any recalls known for Audi A3 or Volkswagen Golf?

Audi A3: 0. Volkswagen Golf: 7.

Where do these figures come from?

DVSA MOT-statistiek (data through 03/09/2026) Both models use the same source and the same reference date.

Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf

Figures per shared age band: numerator, denominator and country index for both models, from the same source.

Age	Audi A3		Volkswagen Golf		Difference (percentage points)
Age	Inspections with a defect	Country index	Inspections with a defect	Country index	Difference (percentage points)
3-5 years	529 of 4468 (11.8%)	93	793 of 8784 (9%)	71	+2.81
6-8 years	11416 of 81115 (14.1%)	73	25307 of 178604 (14.2%)	74	-0.1
9-11 years	23536 of 118611 (19.8%)	71	35829 of 195164 (18.4%)	65	+1.48
12-14 years	22958 of 72182 (31.8%)	88	47604 of 153136 (31.1%)	86	+0.72
15-19 years	32035 of 80977 (39.6%)	94	70368 of 175486 (40.1%)	95	-0.54

100 = country average for that age band in this country.

Recalls and complaints

Audi A3

No recalls or complaints registered for this model.

Volkswagen Golf

Showing 8 of 11

Official item from NHTSA: suspension / rear / springs / coil springs
Campaign number: 19V188000.
NHTSA, data through 06/03/2019
Official item from NHTSA: electrical system / ignition / anti-theft / control module
Campaign number: 19V615000.
NHTSA, data through 22/08/2019
Official item from NHTSA: wheels
Campaign number: 19V879000.
NHTSA, data through 11/12/2019
Official item from NHTSA: tires / pressure monitoring and regulating systems
Campaign number: 22V815000.
NHTSA, data through 31/10/2022
Official item from NHTSA: electrical system / ignition / switch
Campaign number: 23V604000.
NHTSA, data through 30/08/2023
Official item from NHTSA: fuel system, gasoline
Campaign number: 24V110000.
NHTSA, data through 14/02/2024
Official item from NHTSA: back over prevention / sensing system / camera
Campaign number: 20V716000.
NHTSA, data through 18/11/2020
Official item from NHTSA: engine
37 of the 81 of all NHTSA complaints for this model year.
NHTSA, data through 14/02/2024

What this does not show

The country index is an average across the entire fleet of this model in this country, not a failure probability for one specific vehicle.
A complaint share is a share of reported complaints, not a failure probability for all vehicles of this model.
The age correction is already built into each band; differences between generations or trims within the same model are not.
These figures apply to United Kingdom and are not directly comparable to a figure from another country.

Frequently asked questions

What are the inspection figures for Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf, per age band?
Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf: 3-5 years: 93 versus 71. 6-8 years: 73 versus 74. 9-11 years: 71 versus 65. 12-14 years: 88 versus 86. 15-19 years: 94 versus 95. 100 = country average for that age band in this country.
Are any recalls known for Audi A3 or Volkswagen Golf?
Audi A3: 0. Volkswagen Golf: 7.
Where do these figures come from?
DVSA MOT-statistiek (data through 03/09/2026) Both models use the same source and the same reference date.

Methodology

Each row compares inspections from the same age band, in the same country.

The country index rescales the model's defect rate so that 100 equals the country average for that band.

Two models are only compared if they share at least two age bands.

What counts as a failed inspection differs per country; never compare a figure on this page with a figure from another country.

Citation

Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf, United Kingdom, data through 3 September 2026. https://uk.plateop.com/modellen/vergelijk/audi-a3-vs-volkswagen-golf

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