2021 Audi A1 MOT pass rate: 91.4% (16,106 tests)
Is the 2021 A1 getting worse?
Pass rate of 2021-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 91.2% +0.5 vs same-age |
91.2% visual scale |
| 2025 | 91.7% +1.5 vs same-age |
91.7% visual scale |
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 2021 A1
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 1,115 | 51.0% |
| 2 | Brakes | 557 | 25.5% |
| 3 | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 127 | 5.8% |
| 4 | Visibility | 117 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 95 | 4.3% |
| 6 | Identification of the vehicle | 44 | 2.0% |
All A1 years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| 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 | 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 (this page) | 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.
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2021 Audi A1 reliable?
2021-registered examples passed 91.4% of their MOT tests (16,106 tests, 2023–2025), +1.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 5 years old with a median 24,915 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2021 A1?
The median tested example shows 24,915 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.
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.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- 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, 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 the Open Government Licence v3.0.