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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2014 Audi A1 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A1 cars first used in 2014 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 92,370 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 11 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 11 (n=22,967)28.4%
All cars at 11 years (n=8,087,514)33.3%
Difference−4.8 pts
MOT tests of 2014 cars, 2022 to 202592,370

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 11 years old, Audi A1 cars first used in 2014 failed 28.4% of MOTs (22,967 tests), 4.8 points below the 33.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate moved from 21.2% to 28.4%.
  • Audi A1 cars first used a year earlier, in 2013, failed 30.8% at the same age of 11 years (22,400 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A1 at 11 years, is coil spring broken, at 5.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A1 cars first used in 2014: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20228 years21.2%23,23623.8%−2.6 pts
20239 years25.1%23,12927.1%−2.0 pts
202410 years26.9%23,03830.3%−3.4 pts
202511 years28.4%22,96733.3%−4.8 pts

Most common faults at 11 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=80,837). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Coil spring broken5.23.6
Suspension arm bush worn3.61.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.82.8
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear2.02.1
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.90.9
Tyre with cords exposed Wear1.91.6
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear1.71.3
Headlamp aim: too low Wear1.61.4
Wipers not clearing screen Wear1.51.9
Headlight aimed too high Wear1.41.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=80,837). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear17.817.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened16.510.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement10.36.6
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear8.98.7
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.27.8
Coil spring: corroded4.03.8
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively2.92.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive2.64.6
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view2.62.6
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear2.51.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=80,837). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 11 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=80,837). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Petrol60.3%27.8%48,72832.5%69,104 miles
Diesel39.7%34.1%32,10534.3%92,463 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 11 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=80,837). At 11 years, Audi A1 cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (38.9%, n=1,371) than those at under 30,000 miles (13.9%, n=2,883). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Under 30,000 miles13.9%2,88316.3%
30,000 to 60,000 miles22.7%17,79626.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles30.7%32,26034.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles36.2%20,36537.8%
120,000 to 150,000 miles38.7%5,77438.8%
Over 150,000 miles38.9%1,37139.1%

Car tax rules for a 2014 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2014 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Audi A1

Other Audi models first used in 2014

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Audi A3 (2014)11 years in 202522.5%38,74033.3%
Audi A4 (2014)11 years in 202527.2%16,58733.3%
Audi Q3 (2014)11 years in 202527.3%13,72033.3%
Audi A6 (2014)11 years in 202520.4%10,42333.3%
Audi A5 (2014)11 years in 202523.6%10,50233.3%
Audi Q5 (2014)11 years in 202520.2%8,57733.3%
Audi TT (2014)11 years in 202518.8%3,94133.3%
Audi Q7 (2014)11 years in 202518.5%3,14133.3%

More on the Audi A1

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2014 Audi A1 cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.