Volkswagen Scirocco MOT failure rate and common faults
45,187 Volkswagen Scirocco cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 31.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 33.3% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen Scirocco 5% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
31.6%
failed first time
45,187 MOT tests in 2025
-5%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 33.3%
106 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
137.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 119.4
What fails on a Volkswagen Scirocco 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 Scirocco MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 55.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 42.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 31.1 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 29.7 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 28.1 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 26.4 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 25.8 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 22.7 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 19.7 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 18.5 |
Volkswagen Scirocco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 653 | 15.9% | 19.1% | 51,500 |
| 2017 | 4,600 | 19.8% | 21.8% | 60,500 |
| 2016 | 5,224 | 21.6% | 25.1% | 70,700 |
| 2015 | 5,359 | 26.4% | 28.1% | 82,000 |
| 2014 | 3,671 | 31.5% | 31.4% | 91,800 |
| 2013 | 4,294 | 34.1% | 34.3% | 101,100 |
| 2012 | 4,163 | 35.0% | 36.6% | 110,900 |
| 2011 | 5,698 | 38.0% | 38.8% | 116,200 |
| 2010 | 5,838 | 38.6% | 40.7% | 119,400 |
| 2009 | 4,811 | 39.1% | 41.8% | 122,100 |
| 2008 | 872 | 40.3% | 42.9% | 111,800 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen Scirocco'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 Scirocco, 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 edge305.3
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened174.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement173.0
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened149.8
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing112.2
- Coil spring: corroded84.1
Checking a used Volkswagen Scirocco before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Scirocco fails more often than average on tyres and wheels. 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.
Wheels
Look for damaged rims, missing wheel nuts and cracked alloys, particularly on the inside edge where kerb damage hides.
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.
Fuel mix of the Volkswagen Scirocco cars tested: Diesel 56%, Petrol 44%. Average age at test 12.1 years, average recorded mileage 97,300.
Volkswagen Scirocco MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen Scirocco MOT failure rate?
31.6% of Volkswagen Scirocco cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 45,187 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 33.3% of the time, so the Volkswagen Scirocco was 5% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Scirocco MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 198 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 55.7 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen Scirocco year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 21.6% failed against an average of 25.1% 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 Scirocco will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen Scirocco 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 Scirocco
- Mercedes-Benz A-Classrank 103
- Hyundai Tucsonrank 104
- Skoda Superbrank 105
- Audi A1rank 107
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 Scirocco 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.