Audi A1 MOT failure rate and common faults
234,827 Audi A1 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 23.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 24.9% of the time, which makes the Audi A1 5% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
23.7%
failed first time
234,827 MOT tests in 2025
-5%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 24.9%
107 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
110.1
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 95.1
What fails on a Audi A1 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Audi A1 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 45.3 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 36.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 33.6 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 22.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.8 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 16.5 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 13.8 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 13.1 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 11.8 |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn | Brakes | 11.8 |
Audi A1 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 15,060 | 9.5% | 11.4% | 22,700 |
| 2021 | 14,116 | 10.3% | 12.8% | 30,300 |
| 2020 | 13,340 | 12.4% | 14.1% | 35,500 |
| 2019 | 20,502 | 15.9% | 16.5% | 42,100 |
| 2018 | 19,892 | 20.3% | 19.1% | 47,000 |
| 2017 | 22,857 | 22.9% | 21.8% | 54,700 |
| 2016 | 25,390 | 25.9% | 25.1% | 62,800 |
| 2015 | 23,472 | 25.9% | 28.1% | 70,900 |
| 2014 | 22,842 | 28.6% | 31.4% | 76,700 |
| 2013 | 22,145 | 33.0% | 34.3% | 84,400 |
| 2012 | 18,174 | 33.4% | 36.6% | 92,000 |
| 2011 | 15,694 | 36.0% | 38.8% | 98,900 |
| 2010 | 1,341 | 35.0% | 40.7% | 99,700 |
Advisories to look for in a Audi A1's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Audi A1, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge272.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened182.7
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing155.7
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement119.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin97.8
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively40.8
Checking a used Audi A1 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Audi A1 fails more often than average on suspension. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Audi A1 cars tested: Petrol 80%, Diesel 20%. Average age at test 8.8 years, average recorded mileage 61,900.
Audi A1 MOT questions
What is the Audi A1 MOT failure rate?
23.7% of Audi A1 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 234,827 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 24.9% of the time, so the Audi A1 was 5% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Audi A1 MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 125 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 45.3 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Audi A1 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 10.3% failed against an average of 12.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Audi A1 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Audi A1 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Audi models
Ranked close to the Audi A1
- Hyundai Tucsonrank 104
- Skoda Superbrank 105
- Volkswagen Sciroccorank 106
- Range Rover Velarrank 108
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Audi A1 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.