Audi A1 MOT pass rate & common failures
1,218,451 MOT tests on the Audi A1 (1995–2025) give it an 84.5% pass rate. Superminis of a similar age fail 16.7% of the time, so this is 1.2pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst A1 years
Ranked across A1 years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2023 cars pass 95.3% of the time while 2010 cars manage 76.6%, a 18.8-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (6.0%) and tyres (6.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, tread depth and headlamp aim — pins and bushes alone was recorded 40,443 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.7% versus 7.5%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 6.3pp more often than petrol ones (20.2% vs 13.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 13.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 17.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every A1 model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 9,118 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 103,588 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 114,912 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 137,228 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 137,676 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 139,646 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 149,105 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 131,444 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 111,760 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 90,716 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 44,208 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 31,204 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 16,786 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 1,009 | 95.3% | 4.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6.0% | 73,741 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.0% | 73,073 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.3% | 52,682 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.5% | 42,152 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.9% | 23,465 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 15,703 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.2% | 15,082 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 7,069 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 40,443 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 37,082 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 30,974 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 30,596 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 23,400 |
| 6 | Brake discs | 17,567 |
| 7 | Washers | 14,641 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 12,202 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 27.1% | 330,391 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.6% | 251,144 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.2% | 148,389 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.9% | 83,842 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 37,853 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 25,836 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 265,386 | 7.5% |
| 30-60k | 458,103 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 307,615 | 19.6% |
| 90-120k | 137,436 | 23.3% |
| 120-150k | 39,585 | 24.9% |
| 150k+ | 10,065 | 25.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 908,349 | 13.9% |
| Diesel | 310,091 | 20.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 202,718 | 13.2% |
| 2022 | 227,472 | 14.0% |
| 2023 | 245,816 | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 262,085 | 16.7% |
| 2025 | 280,360 | 17.2% |
What to check before buying a Audi A1
- Suspension (6.0% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (6.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (4.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Audi A1?
84.5% of the 1,218,451 Audi A1 MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 15.5% fail rate, across model years 1995–2025.
What does the Audi A1 most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 6.0% of tests, then tyres (6.0%).
Which A1 years are best and worst for MOT results?
2023 has the best pass rate at 95.3% and 2010 the weakest at 76.6%, from 1,009 and 9,118 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect A1 MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.7% for 150k+, a 18.2-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel A1 more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 13.9% of the time against 20.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,218,451 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.