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Audi A1 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 95,968 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 1.4 in 100 MOT tests of the Audi A1 failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 95,968 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.6–0.7×) (all test years), 1,349 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 13 ages from 3 to 15 years, 865,891 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits, 0.5 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

1.4 fails per 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (all test years). The Audi A1 fails less often here.

Why it matters

An exhaust, emissions and leaks fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

Audi A1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails by age

Audi A1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Audi A1. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 64,380 MOT tests34 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 68,542 MOT tests5 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 77,150 MOT tests56 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 89,609 MOT tests7 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 92,946 MOT tests78 years: 1.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 95,968 MOT tests9 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 2.4), 95,113 MOT tests910 years: 2.1 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 87,857 MOT tests11 years: 2.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 80,837 MOT tests1112 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 58,890 MOT tests13 years: 3.2 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 36,045 MOT tests1314 years: 3.6 per 100 (all cars 5.1), 17,199 MOT tests15 years: 4.4 per 100 (all cars 5.7), 1,355 MOT tests15
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Audi A1 All class 4 vehicles the same age
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
364,3800.30.5
468,5420.50.7
577,1500.91.0
689,6090.91.3
792,9461.21.7
895,9681.42.1
995,1131.72.4
1087,8572.12.8
1180,8372.53.2
1258,8902.83.7
1336,0453.24.3
1417,1993.65.1
151,3554.45.7

All first-use years of the Audi A1 pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years.

What fails in the exhaust, emissions and leaks at 8 years

Fails

Advisories (not fails)

Repair cost

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 1.4 petrol: 1.4 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 52,133 MOT tests)
  • 1.0 petrol: 0.9 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 13,933 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 diesel: 1.7 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 23,548 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Start the car from cold and look for smoke at the exhaust, listen for blowing joints, and look under the engine and gearbox for fresh oil or fluid drips.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive.

Check one Audi A1, not the average

The figures here describe Audi A1 cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Audi A1 problems

Exhaust, emissions and leaks on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Audi A1 have more exhaust, emissions and leaks problems than other cars?

0.6 to 0.7 times the exhaust, emissions and leaks fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 8 years (all test years), from 95,968 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 9 of the 13 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Audi A1 exhaust, emissions and leaks problems?

1.4 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on exhaust, emissions and leaks, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 95,968 MOT tests).

What is the most common Audi A1 exhaust, emissions and leaks fail?

0.5 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years: Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (442 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 865,891 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare