Audi A1: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Audi A1 passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 2.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 213,203 individual Audi A1 tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 79.5% first-time pass rate means roughly 21 in every 100 Audi A1s presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Audi A1 tested had covered 59,958 miles and was built around 2016.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Audi A1 bought as a repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. See how it stacks up against the Ford Fiesta.

Looking at a specific Audi A1 rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Audi A1s actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 4 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Audi A1

1. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.9% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 2% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.7% of tests
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2.5% of tests
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.6% of tests
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.2% of tests
8. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1.2% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1% of tests
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.6% of tests

From 368,600 DVSA-tracked Audi A1 tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.62% of these flagged Audi A1 defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Audi A1 pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Audi A1 year:

• 2010 Audi A1 - 67.7% first-time pass, 1,396 tests
• 2011 Audi A1 - 70% first-time pass, 16,216 tests
• 2012 Audi A1 - 72.7% first-time pass, 18,408 tests
• 2013 Audi A1 - 73.8% first-time pass, 22,285 tests
• 2014 Audi A1 - 76.8% first-time pass, 22,939 tests
• 2015 Audi A1 - 79.2% first-time pass, 23,808 tests
• 2016 Audi A1 - 79.4% first-time pass, 25,674 tests
• 2017 Audi A1 - 81.2% first-time pass, 23,024 tests
• 2018 Audi A1 - 84.5% first-time pass, 19,969 tests
• 2019 Audi A1 - 89.3% first-time pass, 19,962 tests
• 2020 Audi A1 - 90.9% first-time pass, 9,740 tests
• 2021 Audi A1 - 91.3% first-time pass, 8,477 tests
• 2022 Audi A1 - 95.5% first-time pass, 404 tests

Audi A1 by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Audi A1 - 82.1% first-time pass, 163,012 tests
• Diesel Audi A1 - 72.1% first-time pass, 49,309 tests

Other Audi models

• Audi A3 - 78.1%
• Audi A4 - 76.3%
• Audi A6 - 81.9%
• Audi A5 - 80.4%
• Audi Tt - 78.8%
• Audi Q3 - 83.5%
• Audi Q5 - 84.8%
• Audi Q2 - 91.9%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Renault Trafic Sl28 B-Ness+ Energy Dci - 79.6%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2700 Edition S/S - 79.6%
• Mercedes-Benz Cl 500 - 79.6%
• SEAT Leon - 79.5%
• Volkswagen Sharan - 79.5%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2900 Sportive S/S - 79.5%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate