Is the Audi A1 reliable?

On MOT evidence the Audi A1 is above average. It passes 73.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 126 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A1?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 21.9% of failed Audi A1 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Audi A1?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Audi A1 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Audi A1 usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 61,696 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Does a Audi A1 get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.3% of Audi A1 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Audi A1 models petrol or diesel?

Of the Audi A1 cars tested, 80% are petrol, 20% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Audi A1 MOT pass rate & common failures

From 235,795 recorded MOT tests of the Audi A1, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Audi A1 passes 73.7% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is above average, ranking it 126 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 235,795 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 21.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 61,696 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

73.7%national average72.3%unadjusted76.3%range covered99%rank126 of 262

The A1 is 1.4 percentage points above the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is above average. The unadjusted figure is 76.3%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Audi A1 tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn21.9%
10,570 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened17.6%
8,476 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.8%
7,628 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.9%
5,247 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged9.0%
4,360 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.0%
3,844 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc6.6%
3,204 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn5.7%
2,747 occurrencesBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.0%
2,393 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
10.A tyre seriously damaged4.9%
2,351 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Audi A1 tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.0%
56,531 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured18.2%
42,942 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged15.6%
36,668 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.0%
28,183 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.7%
22,987 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.1%
9,602 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened3.4%
7,933 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.2%
7,618 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

3–5 yrs89%

6–8 yrs80%

9–11 yrs73%

12–14 yrs66%

15+ yrs65%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The A1 fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 61,696
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol79.7%
Diesel20.3%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

A1 1.4 SPORT TFSI HATCHBACK 3D AUTO
A1 1.4 TFSI AUTO
A1 1.4 TFSI S-TRONIC
A1 1.4 TFSI TURBO
A1 25 TFSI
A1 30 TFSI
A1 30 TFSI S-LINE
A1 35 TFSI S-LINE
A1 AUTO
A1 AUTO 1.4
A1 AUTO 1.4 TFSI
A1 AUTO 1.4 TFSI 3 DOOR HATCHBACK
A1 CITYCARVER 30 TFSI
A1 CITYCARVER 30 TFSI S-A
A1 CITYCARVER 35 TFSI
A1 CITYCARVER 35 TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE 25 TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE AUTO
A1 S LINE BLACK ED 25 TFSI
A1 S LINE BLACK ED 25 TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE BLACK ED 30 TFSI
A1 S LINE BLACK ED 30 TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE BLACK ED 35 TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE COMPETITION TFSI S-A
A1 S LINE VORSPRUNG 30 TFSI
A1 S LINE VORSPRUNG 30 TFSI SA
A1 S LINE VORSPRUNG 35 TFSI SA
A1 SPORT
A1 SPORT 25 TFSI S-A
A1 SPORT NAV TFSI
A1 SPORT TFSI 122 S TRONIC AUTO
A1 SPORT TFSI AUTOMATIC
A1 TDI
A1 TECHNIK 25 TFSI
A1 TECHNIK 25 TFSI S-A
A1 TECHNIK 30 TFSI
A1 TECHNIK 30 TFSI S-A
A1 TFSI
A1 TFSI 122 STYLE EDITION S-A AUTO
A1 TFSI AUTO

Check a specific Audi A1

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Audi models

Audi A3 — 77.8% adjusted
Audi A4 — 77.8% adjusted
Audi Q3 — 81.5% adjusted
Audi A5 — 79.1% adjusted
Audi A6 — 82.4% adjusted
Audi Q5 — 81.6% adjusted
All Audi models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Nissan Micra — 63.8% adjusted, ranked 233
Mercedes-Benz E-Class — 78.5% adjusted, ranked 69
Skoda Fabia — 70.5% adjusted, ranked 165
Mini Mini — 69.4% adjusted, ranked 176

Common questions

Is the Audi A1 reliable?: On MOT evidence the Audi A1 is above average. It passes 73.7% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 126 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Audi A1?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 21.9% of failed Audi A1 tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Audi A1?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.0% of all Audi A1 tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Audi A1 usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 61,696 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Does a Audi A1 get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 89.3% of Audi A1 tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 65.0%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Audi A1 models petrol or diesel?: Of the Audi A1 cars tested, 80% are petrol, 20% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.