MOT pass rates / Volkswagen

Volkswagen MOT pass rates and common failures

Name: Volkswagen MOT statistics
Creator: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Volkswagen cars passed 71.9% of their MOTs first time in 2024, across 2,625,665 class-4 initial tests and 85 model groups. That is above the 71.2% UK average, and ranks Volkswagen 33rd of 59 makes in the dataset.

Pass rates track age more strongly than badge: an older Volkswagen is compared here against older cars of every other make, so read the age table below before drawing conclusions about the brand.

Checking a Volkswagen?

Make-level pass rates cannot reveal the condition or provenance of one car.

Check its registration free for the actual MOT, tax and mileage record. Before buying, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

What Volkswagen cars fail on

The items most often behind a first-test failure across Volkswagen model groups, as a share of Volkswagen tests. DVSA publishes each model group's six most common categories, so this ranks the biggest published causes rather than every possible one.

Condition — 4% of Volkswagen tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
Exhaust Emissions — 3.5% of Volkswagen tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
Headlamp Aim — 3.2% of Volkswagen tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
Brake Performance — 3.2% of Volkswagen tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
Anti-roll Bars — 3% of Volkswagen tests. Worn anti-roll bar links or bushes. Inexpensive but often recurring.
Suspension Arms — 2.5% of Volkswagen tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
Mechanical Brake Components — 1.3% of Volkswagen tests. Worn discs, pads or callipers. Routine wear, but it should be priced into the deal.
Tread Depth — 0.7% of Volkswagen tests. Tyres below the 1.6mm legal limit. Budget for tyres, and treat it as a sign of how the car was maintained.

Volkswagen MOT pass rate by age

Age at test	Tests	Initial pass rate
3–5 years	442,718	87.6%
6–9 years	778,508	80.3%
10–14 years	793,967	67.5%
15–30 years	610,354	55.8%

Volkswagen models by MOT pass rate

Model	Tests	Initial pass rate
Golf	730,632	72.9%
Polo	543,572	65.5%
Transporter	217,793	65%
Tiguan	164,275	79.9%
Passat	153,043	70.7%
Caddy	131,320	68.4%
UP	103,157	79.4%
Touran	66,375	68.1%
T-roc	49,442	90.4%
Beetle	37,628	57.4%
Scirocco	36,469	69.2%
Touareg	33,953	75.3%
Sharan	29,062	76.1%
FOX	25,105	51.7%
Amarok	19,374	75.6%
Polo Match TSI	14,506	88.4%
CC	13,834	72.8%
Caravelle	12,720	63.4%
T-cross	11,978	88.8%
Golf Life TSI	11,549	90.5%
Jetta	11,522	64.1%
EOS	11,446	64.1%
Golf Match Edition TSI EVO	8,299	91.3%
California	7,808	81%
Polo Match EVO	7,667	85.5%
Tiguan Match TSI EVO	7,221	89.4%
ID3 Life	6,411	89.3%
Transporter T28 Highline TDI	6,291	84.3%
E-golf	6,280	86.1%
Arteon	6,215	86.6%
Tiguan R-line TSI S-A	6,155	90.6%
Tiguan Match TSI EVO S-A	6,147	89.9%
Transporter T28 Startline TDI	6,138	78.7%
Polo Match TSI S-A	5,263	88.9%
Lupo	5,218	60%
Crafter	5,041	68.9%
Golf Style TSI	4,969	92%
Bora	4,843	58.4%
Golf Match Edition TSI EVO S-A	4,528	91.8%
Tiguan Life TSI	3,703	89.2%
Golf R-line TSI	3,535	89.1%
T-roc R-line TSI EVO S-A	3,358	92.1%
Tiguan Elegance TSI S-A	3,356	92.4%
Tiguan Match TDI	2,998	87.8%
Transporter T30 H-line TDI S-A	2,987	84.4%
Transporter T30 Highline TDI	2,971	83.1%
Golf Life Etsi S-A	2,933	92.3%
Tiguan R-line Tech TDI	2,701	87.3%
ID3 Family	2,622	90.9%
Transporter T32 H-line TDI S-A	2,454	86.8%
Golf GTI TSI S-A	2,401	90.7%
Tiguan Life TSI S-A	2,324	89.5%
Golf R-line Etsi S-A	2,275	89.5%
Touareg V6 Black Edition TDI A	2,242	89.1%
Transporter T30 Startline TDI	2,145	73.9%
Transporter T28 H-line TDI S-A	2,140	84.5%
LT	2,086	54.8%
Tiguan R-line Tech TDI 4M SA	2,005	87.6%
ID4 1ST Edition	1,954	85.1%
T-roc Black Edition TSI EVO SA	1,922	92.8%
T-roc SEL TSI EVO S-A	1,921	93.1%
Tiguan R-line Tech TDI S-A	1,919	89.5%
Tiguan Match TDI S-A	1,884	90%
Golf Style Etsi S-A	1,864	90.7%
T-roc Active TSI EVO	1,822	90%
Golf R TSI 4motion S-A	1,799	88.8%
Golf GTD TDI S-A	1,704	88.3%
ID3 1ST Edition	1,678	91%
Golf GTE S-A	1,660	87.5%
Polo Active TSI	1,632	92.2%
Golf Match Edition TDI	1,608	88.4%
Golf R-line TDI S-A	1,607	87.6%
Passat SEL TDI S-A	1,561	88.4%
Tiguan Match TDI 4motion S-A	1,521	88.9%
E-up	1,508	91.5%
Golf Match Edition TSI	1,360	88.2%
T-roc R TSI 4motion S-A	1,344	92.9%
UP GTI	1,343	85.9%
Golf Style TDI S-A	1,333	90.6%
Transporter SE TDI S-A	1,142	83.9%
Passat R-line TDI S-A	1,038	89.6%
Transporter T32 Highline TDI	1,026	83.7%
T-roc R-line TSI EVO	1,015	91.9%
ID4 Life	1,010	90.9%
Transporter T32 SE TDI BMT S-A	1,005	84.1%

How many Volkswagen vehicles are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 3,702,507 licensed and 399,850 SORN Volkswagen vehicles across 67 published model groups.

Licensed and SORN counts for every Volkswagen model

Before you buy

Condition — 4% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
Exhaust Emissions — 3.5% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
Headlamp Aim — 3.2% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
Brake Performance — 3.2% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
Check the actual Volkswagen — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Common questions

What is the Volkswagen MOT pass rate?

71.9% of 2,625,665 class-4 initial MOT tests on Volkswagen cars passed first time in 2024 — above the 71.2% UK average across all published models.

Which Volkswagen has the best MOT pass rate?

Of the Volkswagen model groups with a substantial sample, the Golf Match Edition TSI EVO has the highest initial pass rate at 91.3% across 8,299 tests. Pass rates track vehicle age closely, so newer model groups tend to sit higher.

Does a good Volkswagen pass rate mean the car I am looking at is fine?

No. A model-level rate describes a population, not one vehicle. Enter the registration for that car's own MOT, tax and mileage record, and check for outstanding finance, write-off and stolen markers before you buy.

Methodology and limitations

MOT outcomes describe testable items at the time of inspection. They are not a measure of overall mechanical reliability.

Scope: Class 4 normal initial MOT tests completed in 2024. Models require at least 1,000 qualifying tests. Duplicate source rows are removed using official DVSA test IDs.

Source: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency anonymised MOT tests and results, 2024, published 2025-05-23 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Check the actual car

Enter the registration for that Volkswagen's own free MOT, tax and mileage record. Before money changes hands, the £9.99 full history check adds outstanding finance, insurance write-off and stolen checks.