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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2019 Audi A1 MOT fail rate and common faults

How Audi A1 cars first used in 2019 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 82,830 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 6 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 6 (n=20,570)15.8%
All cars at 6 years (n=10,382,720)17.8%
Difference−2.0 pts
MOT tests of 2019 cars, 2022 to 202582,830

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 6 years old, Audi A1 cars first used in 2019 failed 15.8% of MOTs (20,570 tests), 2.0 points below the 17.8% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 6 years old, the fail rate moved from 9.5% to 15.8%.
  • Audi A1 cars first used a year earlier, in 2018, failed 17.7% at the same age of 6 years (20,055 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Audi A1 at 6 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 2.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Audi A1 cars first used in 2019: 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
20223 years9.5%21,02812.1%−2.5 pts
20234 years10.6%20,66813.4%−2.8 pts
20245 years12.5%20,56415.3%−2.8 pts
20256 years15.8%20,57017.8%−2.0 pts

Most common faults at 6 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=89,609). 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
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.42.0
Suspension arm bush worn2.30.4
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear2.11.9
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear1.61.4
Tyre with cords exposed Wear1.11.0
Coil spring broken1.01.0
Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt0.90.2
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear0.70.9
Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn0.60.4
Tyre condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Wear0.60.5

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=89,609). 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 Wear14.914.3
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear10.99.2
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened10.67.3
Brake pads wearing thin Wear8.79.3
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement5.32.1
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively2.62.5
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear2.41.6
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre2.32.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear2.12.0
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view1.91.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=89,609). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 6 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=89,609). 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
Petrol89.3%16.8%80,01816.9%38,690 miles
Diesel10.7%20.9%9,59119.4%50,923 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 6 years

These figures cover all Audi A1 MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=89,609). At 6 years, Audi A1 cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (26.9%, n=1,112) than those at under 30,000 miles (11.3%, n=23,561). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Under 30,000 miles11.3%23,56111.9%
30,000 to 60,000 miles18.3%53,13017.6%
60,000 to 90,000 miles23.8%11,32522.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles26.9%1,11225.6%

Car tax rules for a 2019 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.

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 from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • 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 2019

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Audi A3 (2019)6 years in 202513.6%20,94117.8%
Audi Q2 (2019)6 years in 202510.8%16,35617.8%
Audi Q3 (2019)6 years in 20259.1%13,98017.8%
Audi A4 (2019)6 years in 202516.2%13,16217.8%
Audi Q5 (2019)6 years in 202510.8%12,02017.8%
Audi A5 (2019)6 years in 202515.9%9,90117.8%
Audi A6 (2019)6 years in 202511.7%8,79117.8%
Audi TT (2019)6 years in 20259.3%4,67017.8%

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 2019 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.