Volkswagen Up MOT failure rate and common faults
127,293 Volkswagen Up cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 20.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 26.9% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen Up 24% less likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
20.5%
failed first time
127,293 MOT tests in 2025
-24%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 26.9%
38 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
59.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 100.4
What fails on a Volkswagen Up 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 Up MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 19.4 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 19.4 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 19.0 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 18.8 |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding | Brakes | 16.9 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 16.1 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 12.6 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 11.3 |
| Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits | Engine, emissions and leaks | 11.0 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 10.8 |
Volkswagen Up 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 | 2,409 | 9.6% | 11.4% | 16,100 |
| 2021 | 3,065 | 9.5% | 12.8% | 21,400 |
| 2020 | 3,252 | 9.5% | 14.1% | 24,700 |
| 2019 | 8,286 | 11.6% | 16.5% | 30,500 |
| 2018 | 12,867 | 15.3% | 19.1% | 36,300 |
| 2017 | 13,202 | 18.6% | 21.8% | 42,700 |
| 2016 | 12,823 | 23.7% | 25.1% | 46,800 |
| 2015 | 16,271 | 22.5% | 28.1% | 52,900 |
| 2014 | 21,105 | 22.6% | 31.4% | 59,200 |
| 2013 | 20,180 | 23.8% | 34.3% | 65,100 |
| 2012 | 13,828 | 26.1% | 36.6% | 72,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen Up'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 Up, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing231.7
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge183.3
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement83.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened77.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin35.2
- Service brake performance: binding but not excessively33.6
Checking a used Volkswagen Up before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Up fails more often than average on engine, emissions and leaks. Start there.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
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 Up MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen Up MOT failure rate?
20.5% of Volkswagen Up cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 127,293 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 26.9% of the time, so the Volkswagen Up was 24% less likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Up MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 97 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Headlamp aim: too low", recorded 19.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen Up year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2020 registrations did best: 9.5% failed against an average of 14.1% 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 Up will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen Up 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 Up
- Honda CR-Vrank 35
- Land Rover Defenderrank 36
- Toyota Priusrank 37
- Mercedes-Benz GLCrank 39
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 Up 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.