Car
Audi A3
82.6%
pass rate across 1,454,375 tests
79.4% first-time pass rate
Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series
The two cars compared on 1,727,875 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
BMW 1 Series
84.7%
pass rate across 273,500 tests
82.3% first-time pass rate
The short answer
BMW 1 Series edges the MOT comparison
Across 1,727,875 tests, the BMW 1 Series has the stronger first-time record: 82.3% against 79.4%, a 2.9-point gap. On all MOTs the BMW 1 Series is ahead at 84.7% versus 82.6%. A typical repair bill is similar: £41–£104 for the Audi A3 and £35–£88 for the BMW 1 Series; at their pass rates that is roughly £709–£1,815 versus £540–£1,344 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the BMW 1 Series is Play in steering rack inner joint at 5.1% of tests, up to £300 to fix.
- First-time pass: 79.4% vs 82.3%.
- All MOTs: 82.6% vs 84.7%.
- Like-for-like: +2.3 vs +2.7 points.
- Typical repair bill: £41–£104 vs £35–£88.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 79.0% vs 79.2%.
| Measure | A3 | 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 1,454,375 | 273,500 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 82.6% | 84.7% stronger figure |
| First-time pass rate | 79.4% | 82.3% stronger figure |
| Against the UK average | +1.6 pts | +3.7 pts stronger figure |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +2.3 pts | +2.7 pts stronger figure |
| Average mileage at test | 95,023 mi | 90,230 mi |
| Model years on record | 2000–2023 (24) | 2004–2020 (17) |
| Best model year | 2023 · 94.4% | 2020 · 91.2% |
| Worst model year | 2004 · 70.7% | 2004 · 74.3% |
| Typical repair bill | £41–£104 | £35–£88 stronger figure |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £709–£1,815 | £540–£1,344 stronger figure |
| Main fuel | Diesel 51% | Petrol 54% |
| Variants recorded | 3 | 4 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
A3
- Suspension arm corroded 3.5% £35–£85
- Linkage ball joint dust cover insecure 1.5% £18–£45
- Linkage ball joint dust cover deteriorated 1.2% £18–£45
1 Series
- Play in steering rack inner joint 5.1% £120–£300
- Shock absorber has no damping 0.9% £30–£75
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | A3 | 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 88.5% · 128,424 tests | 90.3% · 8,859 tests |
| 2017 | 89.4% · 110,455 tests | 89.9% · 24,118 tests |
| 2018 | 90.4% · 87,091 tests | 90.2% · 39,449 tests |
| 2019 | 90.6% · 67,542 tests | 89.8% · 48,704 tests |
| 2020 | 91.6% · 40,627 tests | 91.2% · 68 tests |
| 2021 | 91.1% · 40,062 tests | — |
| 2022 | 91.1% · 16,337 tests | — |
| 2023 | 94.4% · 803 tests | — |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | A3 | 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 93.1% · 114,710 tests | 93.4% · 24,190 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 89.5% · 322,303 tests | 89.4% · 86,457 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 83.9% · 346,801 tests | 84.2% · 72,950 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 79.0% · 296,926 tests | 79.2% · 50,703 tests |
| 120k+ | 75.1% · 372,836 tests | 76.8% · 39,115 tests |
What to check before you buy
Audi A3
- Suspension arm corroded — 3.5% of tests, £35–£85 to put right.
- Linkage ball joint dust cover insecure — 1.5% of tests, £18–£45 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2004 at 70.7%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
BMW 1 Series
- Play in steering rack inner joint — 5.1% of tests, £120–£300 to put right.
- Shock absorber has no damping — 0.9% of tests, £30–£75 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2004 at 74.3%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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