Is the Audi RS3 reliable?

The Audi RS3 scores 77/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 93% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,701 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Audi RS3 cost?

A 2023 Audi RS3 with around 21,651 miles is worth roughly £37,800 today (typical range £31,850–£43,700). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Audi RS3 depreciate?

A new Audi RS3 typically loses about 27% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Audi RS3?

The Audi RS3 sits in insurance group 35 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Audi RS3?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Audi RS3 are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Audi RS3 cost to run?

Expect around 33 mpg combined on the RS3 2.5 TFSI 400 quattro Sportback, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Audi RS3 ULEZ compliant?

Whether a Audi RS3 is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.

How many Audi RS3s are on UK roads?

About 8,557 Audi RS3s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #187 car in the UK · Hatchback · 1,422 units sold last year

Audi RS3

The Audi RS3 (8V to 2020, 8Y 2021 on) is defined by its glorious turbocharged five-cylinder - a 400-plus-bhp warble nothing else in the class offers. quattro and a launch-control dual-clutch make it brutally fast in a straight line, and the latest car's torque-splitting rear diff finally lets it play. A compact super-hatch with a real sense of occasion, if a firm ride and thirst come with the territory.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Hatchback
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol
Economy: 33 mpg
Insurance: Group 35

The short version

68/100

Forecourt score

Value 95 · Insurance 14 · catalogue percentiles

The Audi RS3 holds its value well and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is good — an MOT score of 77/100, ahead of 93% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 95% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 2480cc

Power

400 ps

Drivetrain

AWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

33 mpg

Hot RS3 Sportback — 400 PS 2.5L 5-cylinder, quattro AWD, 3.8s 0-62. Successor to legendary 2.5L TT-RS engine.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock21,651 mi

0Expected: 21,651180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£37,800

Range £30,200 – £46,000

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £57,000Age-based value£41,364Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£13Market calibration-£1,601Forecourt price£39,750Private sale£35,800Part-exchange£31,500

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Audi RS3 loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 21,651 miles you entered above — worth about £37,800 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,217 miles a year.

5-year total

£17,784

Per year

£3,557

All-in per mile

£0.49

Fuel per mile

14.5p

Depreciation£4,118

Fuel / energy£5,246

Servicing£2,570

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£4,850

Best age to buy — around 6 years

A 6-year-old example loses roughly £3,450 a year — 51% less than the £7,050 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 95%

Cheap to insurebetter than 14%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Petrol

The default choice: lowest purchase price and easy upkeep, at the cost of higher fuel bills than a hybrid.

New price: circa £32,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,033
3-yr depreciation: 49%

Watch for

·Carbon build-up on direct-injection engines
·Ignition coils and spark plugs with age
·Cam or wet-belt service where fitted

Diesel

Makes sense for high motorway mileage; less so for short urban hops, where the DPF struggles.

New price: circa £35,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,020
3-yr depreciation: 52%

Watch for

·DPF clogging on mostly-short journeys
·EGR valve and turbo wear with mileage
·AdBlue system upkeep on newer engines

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 35 of 50 (upper-mid — pricier to insure) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£970/ year

Roughly £81 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,212	£2,765	£3,594
Age 26-32	£1,154	£1,358	£1,657
Age 33-39Selected	£854	£970	£1,145
Age 40-49	£725	£805	£934
Age 50+	£646	£718	£847

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage7,217 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 7,21730,000

Routine service

£290

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£280

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,590

33 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£970

Age 33-39, group 35

Clean-air zones

⚠ Depends on variant

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£3,330 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£120

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£360

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£780

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£1,350

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Adaptive / matrix LED headlights	£900	£400	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Advanced driver-assistance pack	£1,500	£450	30%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%
Premium sound system	£800	£200	25%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 21,651 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 4.8% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at 60k-100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 2.9% of MOT tests 60k-100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,637 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 1,701 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

90.2% at 3yr → 90% at 15yr

A 3-year-old RS3 passes its MOT 90.2% of the time; by 15 years that has slipped to 90%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

Not enough older examples yet to gauge longevity.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every RS3 with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 315 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Petrol 93.3%
Other 6.7%

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a RS3 at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr24,845
4 yr30,481
5 yr36,809
6 yr42,984
7 yr49,571
8 yr54,595
9 yr58,597
10 yr62,783
11 yr69,621
12 yr74,894
13 yr77,729
14 yr86,081

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

77/ 100

Good

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (0 first tests), with cohort survival — low confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

91%first-time pass rate

93rd percentile — Among the best in the catalogue

Based on 179 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01The five-cylinder engine is the whole point - that sound and shove are the reason to buy.
02The 8Y's torque-vectoring rear axle transformed it from grippy point-and-squirt to genuinely playful.
03Firm ride and big servicing/tyre bills are the cost of entry - budget accordingly.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Audi RS3, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Higher-value cars like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Around average

Parts-theft risk is around average — catalytic-converter theft is the main thing to be aware of on any petrol or diesel car.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Audi RS3 into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Audi is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~115

Large network

Premium mainstream

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Audi is 2.6% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Audi RS3 fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

8,935

Currently taxed & on road

8,557

96% of all registered

SORN (off road)

378

4% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2015 to 2025

+21.5% vs 2024

7768,557

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 29 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the VW MQB platform

Volkswagen Group's modular transverse-engine platform underpinning a huge range of cars from supermini to mid-size SUV. Introduced 2012 with the Golf Mk7. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Volkswagen Group Modularer Querbaukasten · Volkswagen Group

Common questions

Audi RS3, answered from the data

Is the Audi RS3 reliable?: The Audi RS3 scores 77/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 93% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,701 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Audi RS3 cost?: A 2023 Audi RS3 with around 21,651 miles is worth roughly £37,800 today (typical range £31,850–£43,700). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Audi RS3 depreciate?: A new Audi RS3 typically loses about 27% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Audi RS3?: The Audi RS3 sits in insurance group 35 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Audi RS3?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Audi RS3 are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Audi RS3 cost to run?: Expect around 33 mpg combined on the RS3 2.5 TFSI 400 quattro Sportback, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Audi RS3 ULEZ compliant?: Whether a Audi RS3 is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
How many Audi RS3s are on UK roads?: About 8,557 Audi RS3s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.