Volkswagen ID3 MOT failure rate and common faults
25,645 Volkswagen ID3 cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 11.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 12.5% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen ID3 12% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
11.1%
failed first time
25,645 MOT tests in 2025
-12%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 12.5%
82 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
60.5
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 55.5
What fails on a Volkswagen ID3 MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Volkswagen ID3 MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 40.0 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 29.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 21.8 |
| Headlamp aim: too high | Lights and electrics | 17.5 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 5.3 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.8 |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 3.8 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 3.5 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.3 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 3.2 |
Volkswagen ID3 MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10,084 | 11.9% | 11.4% | 29,100 |
| 2021 | 10,933 | 10.2% | 12.8% | 35,300 |
| 2020 | 4,628 | 11.2% | 14.1% | 37,000 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen ID3's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Volkswagen ID3, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge383.3
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing31.8
- Tyres: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords25.8
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement14.8
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil11.9
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened11.3
Checking a used Volkswagen ID3 before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen ID3 fails more often than average on tyres. Start there.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Volkswagen ID3 MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen ID3 MOT failure rate?
11.1% of Volkswagen ID3 cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 25,645 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 12.5% of the time, so the Volkswagen ID3 was 12% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen ID3 MOT?
Tyres caused the most failure items, at 101 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded 40.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen ID3 year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 10.2% failed against an average of 12.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Volkswagen ID3 will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen ID3 tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Volkswagen models
- Volkswagen Golf23.9% failed
- Volkswagen Polo31.7% failed
- Volkswagen Transporter29.2% failed
- Volkswagen Tiguan18.6% failed
- Volkswagen Passat28.0% failed
- Volkswagen Caddy31.5% failed
Ranked close to the Volkswagen ID3
- Skoda Kamiqrank 79
- Suzuki Ignisrank 80
- Toyota Aurisrank 81
- Mini Clubmanrank 83
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Volkswagen ID3 cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.