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Audi A1 vs Audi A3 e sport tdi: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Audi A1
84%
MOT pass rate · 235,482 vehicles
More reliable
Audi A3 e sport tdi
81%
MOT pass rate · 364 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Audi A1 is the more reliable of the two — 84% pass first time versus 81%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Audi A1 Audi A3 e sport tdi
MOT pass rate 84% ✓ 81%
MOT failure rate 16% ✓ 19%
Faults & advisories per test 1.5 0.0 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 5% 0% ✓
Average mileage 67,791 mi 165,631 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 235,482 364

Most common faults

Audi A1

  1. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  2. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  3. Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  4. Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  5. Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  6. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Audi A3 e sport tdi

  1. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  2. Nearside Front Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))
  5. Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)
  6. Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened offside/nearside (3.5.1i)

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Audi A1 is the more reliable of the two — 84% pass first time versus 81%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Audi A1 report Full Audi A3 e sport tdi report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.