Audi A1 MOT pass rate: 78.6% (218,041 tests, 2025)

Name: Audi A1 MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Audi A1 passed 78.6% of its 218,041 MOT tests in 2025 — 1.1 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 9 years old with 59,723 miles on the clock.

78.6%Pass rate (2025)

218,041MOT tests analysed

59,723 miMedian mileage at test

9 yrsMedian age at test

How the A1 compares

Audi A1

78.6%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Audi average (all models)

81.8%

What fails most on the Audi A1

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the A1:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	28,949	30.8%
2	Tyres	20,631	21.9%
3	Brakes	15,189	16.1%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	11,957	12.7%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	5,004	5.3%
6	Visibility	4,722	5.0%

Pre-MOT checklist for A1 owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

A1 pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2016, 2017, 2018. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2010, 2022. Full ranking and method: Audi A1 years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2010	4,143	69.5%	+2.1 pts	95,878	69.5% visual scale
2011	47,941	70.2%	+1.0 pts	93,195	70.2% visual scale
2012	54,560	72.8%	+1.6 pts	85,522	72.8% visual scale
2013	65,942	73.7%	+0.4 pts	77,154	73.7% visual scale
2014	67,970	76.9%	+1.0 pts	68,909	76.9% visual scale
2015	70,194	79.4%	+0.7 pts	62,312	79.4% visual scale
2016	75,533	79.5%	-1.8 pts	54,000	79.5% visual scale
2017	67,899	81.7%	-2.3 pts	45,844	81.7% visual scale
2018	58,580	84.8%	-1.5 pts	38,005	84.8% visual scale
2019	58,750	88.8%	+0.4 pts	32,466	88.8% visual scale
2020	28,832	90.6%	+0.7 pts	26,001	90.6% visual scale
2021	16,106	91.4%	+1.0 pts	24,915	91.4% visual scale
2022	8,818	92.9%	+1.7 pts	20,714	92.9% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 12,669 cars · 10.4% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 427 cars · 9.1% failed the same item the next year
Brake pads wearing thin — 12,612 cars · 8.0% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 217 cars · 7.8% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 444 cars · 5.6% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific A1 before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Audi models

A378.5% pass rate · 369,274 tests A476.4% pass rate · 225,890 tests A579.6% pass rate · 113,772 tests A682.4% pass rate · 111,230 tests Tt80.1% pass rate · 110,604 tests Q381.6% pass rate · 104,391 tests Q584.6% pass rate · 94,382 tests Q292.0% pass rate · 79,257 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for an Audi A1?

In 2025, 78.6% of 218,041 first MOT tests on the Audi A1 were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the A1 fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (30.8% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Audi A1 reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 78.6% it performs above the national average at a median age of 9 years and 59,723 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.