UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen Arteon cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 11,910 licensed and 229 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Arteon generic-model group.

Is the Arteon disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 12,072 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 11,910 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 77% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 229 are declared SORN — 1 in 53 of the 12,139 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

When it shows up in the statistics

Volkswagen Arteon first appears in the published DfT series in 2017 Q3. Earlier quarters in this file do not include it, so that quarter is not a production start date.

Arteon MOT pass rate

In 2024, 86.6% of 6,215 Volkswagen Arteon MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 87% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 85.9% aged 6–9 years.

• Condition — 6.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
• Tread Depth — 1.8% of tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
• Mechanical Brake Components — 1.7% of tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
• Shock Absorbers — 1.5% of tests. Leaking or worn dampers. Replaced in pairs and noticeable in how the car rides.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

• Condition — 6.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
• Tread Depth — 1.8% of tests in 2024. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.
• Mechanical Brake Components — 1.7% of tests in 2024. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
• Shock Absorbers — 1.5% of tests in 2024. Leaking or worn dampers. Replaced in pairs and noticeable in how the car rides.
• Check the actual Arteon — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

Other Volkswagen models

• Golf — 953,731 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Polo — 684,732 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Transporter — 352,853 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Tiguan — 353,309 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Passat — 175,154 licensed. MOT pass rate
• Caddy — 163,434 licensed. MOT pass rate

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Arteon cars are left in the UK?

11,910 were licensed and 229 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Arteon cars are SORN?

229 are declared SORN — 1 in 53 of the 12,139 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Arteon disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 12,072 in 2025 Q3 and stand at 11,910 in 2026 Q1, down 1%. That is up 77% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 229 are declared SORN — 1 in 53 of the 12,139 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

When does the Arteon appear in the UK statistics?

Volkswagen Arteon first appears in the published DfT series in 2017 Q3. Earlier quarters in this file do not include it, so that quarter is not a production start date.

What is the Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 86.6% of 6,215 Volkswagen Arteon MOTs passed first time — above the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Arteon fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (6.5% of tests), tread depth (1.8% of tests), mechanical brake components (1.7% of tests).

Does this say whether one Arteon is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.