Volkswagen Transporter MOT failure rate and common faults
263,421 Volkswagen Transporter vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 29.2% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.2% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen Transporter 4% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
29.2%
failed first time
263,421 MOT tests in 2025
+4%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.2%
3 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
84.7
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 104.2
What fails on a Volkswagen Transporter 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 Transporter 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 | 43.8 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 25.6 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 24.8 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 24.3 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 23.5 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 20.5 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 20.3 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 19.0 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 18.9 |
| Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault | Brakes | 18.6 |
Volkswagen Transporter 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 | 12,714 | 16.2% | 11.4% | 35,100 |
| 2021 | 18,281 | 18.3% | 12.8% | 46,500 |
| 2020 | 14,603 | 19.7% | 14.1% | 56,300 |
| 2019 | 18,867 | 20.9% | 16.5% | 64,100 |
| 2018 | 20,073 | 22.9% | 19.1% | 73,800 |
| 2017 | 20,249 | 24.6% | 21.8% | 82,100 |
| 2016 | 20,002 | 25.5% | 25.1% | 92,600 |
| 2015 | 17,985 | 29.0% | 28.1% | 99,400 |
| 2014 | 15,851 | 30.8% | 31.4% | 109,700 |
| 2013 | 14,412 | 30.2% | 34.3% | 120,200 |
| 2012 | 12,394 | 32.8% | 36.6% | 128,100 |
| 2011 | 12,013 | 34.3% | 38.8% | 136,000 |
| 2010 | 10,705 | 36.5% | 40.7% | 142,700 |
| 2009 | 8,905 | 40.5% | 41.8% | 143,200 |
| 2008 | 12,440 | 41.5% | 42.9% | 154,400 |
| 2007 | 13,100 | 42.4% | 42.7% | 161,900 |
| 2006 | 11,090 | 44.3% | 43.0% | 169,000 |
| 2005 | 9,737 | 44.1% | 42.4% | 174,200 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen Transporter'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 Transporter, 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 edge241.3
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement108.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened106.1
- Brake pads: wearing thin92.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing68.7
- Coil spring: corroded62.7
Checking a used Volkswagen Transporter before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Transporter fails more often than average on suspension and seat belts and airbags. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
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 Transporter MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen Transporter MOT failure rate?
29.2% of Volkswagen Transporter vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 263,421 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.2% of the time, so the Volkswagen Transporter was 4% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Transporter MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 177 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 43.8 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen Transporter year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2013 registrations did best: 30.2% failed against an average of 34.3% 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 Transporter will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen Transporter 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 Tiguan18.6% failed
- Volkswagen Passat28.0% failed
- Volkswagen Caddy31.5% failed
- Volkswagen Up20.5% failed
Ranked close to the Volkswagen Transporter
- Fiat Ducatorank 1
- Peugeot Boxerrank 2
- Mitsubishi L200rank 5
- Mercedes-Benz Vitorank 6
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 Transporter vans 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.