1,476 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Motor reliability and MOT pass rate
70.8% passed first time. The 29.2% fail rate is 6.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 36 years old with 68,358 miles.
Pass rate
70.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
68,358 mi
36 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 48 | — |
| 6-9 years | 80 | — |
| 10-13 years | 117 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,227 | 30.4% |
What the Motor 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 equipment20 dangerous45%
- Brakes53 dangerous41.1%
- Suspension6 dangerous32%
- Visibility1 dangerous27.4%
- Body, chassis, structure12 dangerous23.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous13.9%
- Tyres43 dangerous10.7%
- Steering1 dangerous10.4%
Is the Motor getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 29% from 2022 to 2025, but the median one tested got 4 years younger over the same period as newer examples joined the fleet, so this is not a like-for-like comparison.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,766 | 42 | 28.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,577 | 42 | 28% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,364 | 38 | 28% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,388 | 38 | 29% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Motor 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 Motor in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements62 tests
- 2Washers: not working51 tests
- 3Service brake imbalance: across an axle44 tests
- 4Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength35 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working34 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively33 tests
- 7Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid30 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding29 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Motor collects 2.8 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 engine175 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play113 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded103 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure82 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened80 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm78 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn49 tests
- 8Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced45 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Motor MOT pass rate?
70.8% of the 1,476 Volkswagen Motor first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Motor usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 62 failed tests, followed by "Washers: not working" and "Service brake imbalance: across an axle". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 45% of failures, brakes appears in 41.1% of failures, suspension appears in 32% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 16.7%; at 14+ years it was 30.4%. The median Volkswagen Motor tested in 2025 was 36 years old with 68,358 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Motor getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.1 points to 29% from 2022 to 2025, but the median one tested got 4 years younger over the same period as newer examples joined the fleet, so this is not a like-for-like comparison.
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 Motor 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 Motor?
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.