Audi A1 MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Audi A1 MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Audi A1 passed on its first attempt in 80.0%, and its overall record sits +2.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Audi A1 in the 2023–2025 data: 757,350 tests across 14 model years (2010–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Audi A1 MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Audi A1, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Audi A1's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Audi A1 DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Audi A1, each with how many of the model's 757,350 tests it was noted on.

• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 21,294 Audi A1 tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 19,068 Audi A1 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 18,675 Audi A1 tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 10,776 Audi A1 tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 9,033 Audi A1 tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 8,356 Audi A1 tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Audi A1 Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Audi A1 model year on record is 2023 (95.3% across 745 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (76.0%). The gap between them is 19.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Audi A1 reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.5 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Audi A1 Owners

These checks follow this Audi A1's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Audi A1.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Audi A1. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Audi A1 MOT & Reliability