2016 Audi A1 MOT pass rate: 79.5% (75,533 tests)

2016-registered Audi A1s passed 79.5% of 75,533 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 1.8 points worse than same-age cars (81.3%). This is one of the lower-scoring A1 years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

79.5%Pass rate, 2016 cars

98.2Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

75,533Tests analysed

54,000 miMedian mileage at test

80.6% / 75.7%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 A1 getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	82.0% -1.1 vs same-age
2024	79.4% -1.8 vs same-age
2025	77.2% -2.4 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2016 A1

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	9,815	33.5%
2	Tyres	7,486	25.5%
3	Brakes	4,762	16.2%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,975	10.1%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	1,582	5.4%
6	Visibility	994	3.4%

All A1 years compared

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

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Audi A1 years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 A1? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 Audi A1 reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 79.5% of their MOT tests (75,533 tests, 2023–2025), -1.8 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 54,000 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 A1?

The median tested example shows 54,000 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2016 A1?

In this cohort petrols pass 80.6% of tests against 75.7% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.