4,775 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Lupo reliability and MOT pass rate
66.8% passed first time. The 33.2% fail rate is 10.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 23 years old with 83,561 miles.
Pass rate
66.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 33.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
83,561 mi
23 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 4,775 | 33.2% |
What the Lupo 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment25 dangerous40%
- Suspension111 dangerous37.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous34.7%
- Brakes119 dangerous31%
- Body, chassis, structure9 dangerous27.6%
- Tyres298 dangerous17.2%
- Visibility16.6%
- Steering7 dangerous10.8%
Is the Lupo getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 33.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.3 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7,725 | 20 | 32.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,874 | 21 | 33.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 5,340 | 22 | 33.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,771 | 23 | 33.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Lupo 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 Lupo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits204 tests
- 2Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases184 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt179 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect171 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction148 tests
- 6Service brake imbalance: across an axle132 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively122 tests
- 8Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn120 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Lupo collects 3.78 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 engine844 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm746 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened668 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded622 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn601 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure577 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases550 tests
- 8Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened471 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Lupo MOT pass rate?
66.8% of the 4,775 Volkswagen Lupo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 33.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Lupo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits", recorded on 204 failed tests, followed by "Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 40% of failures, suspension appears in 37.1% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 34.7% 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 33.2%. The median Volkswagen Lupo tested in 2025 was 23 years old with 83,561 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Lupo getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 33.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.3 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 Lupo 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 Lupo?
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.