2016 Audi A1 1.0L Petrol · LS66 OOU

A clear mechanical concern dominates this 2016 Audi A1's recent MOT record: a progression of front suspension wear that has now escalated into a major failure. The most recent test on 27 November 2025 initially recorded the car as failed with three major defects — a malfunctioning tyre pressure monitoring system, an inoperative reversing lamp, and an excessively worn offside front suspension arm pin or bush at the rear position — before a same-day re-test returned a pass with the offside front upper Macpherson strut pin or bush noted as worn but within tolerance. The 2023 test already flagged both nearside and offside front suspension arm pins or bushes as wearing, and the strut bush advisory from late 2025 suggests the deterioration is continuing rather than stabilising. Braking components have also appeared consistently across the record, with pitted or scored front and rear brake discs noted in 2019, 2023, and 2024, alongside front tyre edge wear advisories in both 2023 and 2024. With 79,905 miles accumulated over roughly a decade of use, the vehicle is running at approximately 7,990 miles per year, which sits broadly in line with typical annual mileage for a car of this age. There are no extended gaps in the testing record — annual or near-annual tests are present from 2019 through 2025 — and mileage progression across the recorded tests appears steady rather than erratic, indicating consistent use rather than long periods off the road. For a ten-year-old Audi A1 of this mileage, wear on suspension bushes, brake discs, and tyres falls within expected mechanical territory, though the escalation of the front suspension advisories into a major defect at the latest test confirms that consumable replacement work is now pressing rather than optional. A prospective buyer should pay particular attention to the front suspension geometry on a test drive. With the offside front upper strut bush and arm pin or bush both flagged in successive tests, listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front end over speed humps, uneven road surfaces, and kerb transitions, and feel for any vagueness or knocking through the steering wheel when braking or traversing bumps. The steering should self-centre crisply without drift, and the front wheels should respond immediately to steering inputs without delay. Given that the rear-position pin or bush was the component that crossed into the major category, a workshop should jack the front end and physically check the lower arm and strut mounting for play, as in-cabin noise checks alone may not reveal the full extent of movement when the component is loaded only vertically rather than laterally. The braking system warrants close inspection as well. Pitted or scored discs were noted on all four corners across multiple tests, which can compromise braking efficiency in wet conditions and may eventually require disc replacement rather than just pad changes. On a test drive, the pedal should feel firm and progressive, with no judder felt through the pedal under firm application, and the car should pull up in a straight line without steering deviation. Also verify that the tyre pressure monitoring system is currently functioning — a dashboard confirmation on start-up that the system is active rather than displaying a fault is essential — and that the reversing lamp illuminates correctly, as both were failed items on the November 2025 test and represent inexpensive but mandatory rectification items that must be operational for any subsequent MOT.