MOT performance
Audi A1 diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 99,737 MOT tests on diesel Audi A1s in 2023–2024 (on average 9.3 years old at test, median 81,686 miles), 68.9% passed first time, against 80.4% of 331,752 petrol Audi A1 tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Audi A1s failed about as often as comparable cars — 1.03× against 0.93× for the Audi A1 as a whole.
99,737 MOT tests on 50,018 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 68.9% | ±0.3 pts (95%), n = 99,737 |
| All Audi A1s | 77.7% | n = 431,497 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.03× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Audi A1 overall 0.93× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 10.9% | n = 99,737 |
| Average age at test | 9.3 years | n = 99,737 |
| Registration years covered | 2010–2021 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Audi A1 fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 2.6 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 331,752 | 6.7 yrs | 80.4% | -11% | 6.9% |
| Diesel | 99,737 | 9.3 yrs | 68.9% | +3% | 10.9% |
Where diesel Audi A1s differ
- Driver's view of the road: diesel Audi A1s failed 40% more often than the Audi A1 overall, relative to comparable cars (0.82× vs 0.58×).
- Body, chassis and structure: diesel Audi A1s failed 33% more often than the Audi A1 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.07× vs 0.80×).
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Audi A1s failed 31% more often than the Audi A1 overall, relative to comparable cars (1.03× vs 0.79×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Audi A1s (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 12.5% (+26%) | 7.7% (+20%) |
| Tyres | 9.5% (+31%) | 7.2% (+19%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 8.2% (-25%) | 5.2% (-35%) |
| Brakes | 6.7% (-5%) | 4.4% (-12%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 3.4% (-18%) | 2.4% (-42%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 3.4% (+7%) | 1.6% (-20%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.7% (+3%) | 1.6% (-21%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.9% (+5%) | 0.7% (+27%) |
| Steering | 0.9% (-61%) | 0.5% (-64%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.4% (+29%) | 0.3% (+29%) |
| Road wheels | 0.3% (-41%) | 0.2% (-31%) |
Most common diesel Audi A1 failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 4.67% |
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 4.51% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.73% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 2.30% |
| Condition: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 2.08% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 85.8% (699) | 88.8% (66,863) |
| 5-6 | 76.5% (8,566) | 82.2% (76,103) |
| 7-8 | 73.4% (26,181) | 78.9% (70,029) |
| 9-10 | 68.1% (33,230) | 74.6% (54,524) |
| 11-12 | 63.7% (27,212) | 69.0% (36,579) |
| 13-15 | 61.7% (3,849) | 65.6% (5,700) |
Audi A1 by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 2010 Audi A1 · 64.0%
- 2011 Audi A1 · 65.1%
- 2012 Audi A1 · 68.4%
- 2013 Audi A1 · 70.2%
- 2014 Audi A1 · 73.9%
- 2015 Audi A1 · 77.4%
- 2016 Audi A1 · 77.8%
- 2017 Audi A1 · 80.0%
- 2018 Audi A1 · 84.1%
- 2019 Audi A1 · 88.5%
- 2020 Audi A1 · 89.8%
- 2021 Audi A1 · 89.7%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Audi A1
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.