2,371 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Lt reliability and MOT pass rate
62.7% passed first time. The 37.3% fail rate is 14.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 22 years old with 144,906 miles.
Pass rate
62.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 37.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
144,906 mi
22 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 16 | — |
| 14+ years | 2,354 | 37.3% |
What the Lt 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.
- Brakes174 dangerous60.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment10 dangerous58.4%
- Suspension25 dangerous32.7%
- Body, chassis, structure31 dangerous27%
- Visibility2 dangerous18.2%
- Steering6 dangerous14.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks7 dangerous11.2%
- Tyres86 dangerous9.9%
Is the Lt getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 37.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,923 | 20 | 40.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,763 | 21 | 37.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,475 | 21 | 38.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,364 | 22 | 37.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Lt 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 Lt in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements188 tests
- 2Headlamp: not working on main beam114 tests
- 3Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements111 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working93 tests
- 5Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively86 tests
- 6Headlamp: not working on dipped beam85 tests
- 7Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength84 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding75 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Lt collects 3.72 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine618 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded501 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened321 tests
- 4Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn277 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)213 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm210 tests
- 7Wheel bearings: has excessive play192 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure184 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Lt MOT pass rate?
62.7% of the 2,371 Volkswagen Lt first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 37.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Lt usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 188 failed tests, followed by "Headlamp: not working on main beam" and "Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements". By section, brakes appears in 60.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 58.4% of failures, suspension appears in 32.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 37.3%. The median Volkswagen Lt tested in 2025 was 22 years old with 144,906 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Lt getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 37.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-0.8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Lt trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Volkswagen models
Checking a particular Lt?
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.