8,905 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Arteon reliability and MOT pass rate
87.9% passed first time. The 12.1% fail rate is 10.5 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 5 years old with 48,767 miles.
Pass rate
87.9%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.1% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
48,767 mi
5 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4,382 | 11.3% |
| 6-9 years | 4,437 | 12.9% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Arteon fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Tyres665 dangerous61.8%
- Suspension4 dangerous18.7%
- Brakes156 dangerous16.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6.8%
- Visibility2 dangerous4.7%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous4.5%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1.9%
- Identification of the vehicle1.4%
Is the Arteon getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.9 points to 12.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,093 | 4 | 11.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 5,971 | 4 | 11.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,981 | 5 | 12.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 7,596 | 6 | 12.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Arteon at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Arteon in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords212 tests
- 2Condition: has ply or cords exposed198 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm169 tests
- 4Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak136 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick132 tests
- 6Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure81 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction62 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure48 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Arteon collects 2.17 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,181 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick794 tests
- 3Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak731 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened676 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure404 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre262 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm210 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt192 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rate?
87.9% of the 8,905 Volkswagen Arteon first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.1% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Arteon usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords", recorded on 212 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has ply or cords exposed" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 61.8% of failures, suspension appears in 18.7% of failures, brakes appears in 16.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.3%; at 6-9 years it was 12.9%. The median Volkswagen Arteon tested in 2025 was 5 years old with 48,767 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Arteon getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.9 points to 12.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 3.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Arteon trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 9 safety recalls naming the Volkswagen Arteon: Volkswagen Arteon recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
Checking a particular Arteon?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.