2,181 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Multivan reliability and MOT pass rate
91.1% passed first time. The 8.9% fail rate is 13.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 2 years old with 46,764 miles.
Pass rate
91.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 8.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
46,764 mi
2 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 484 | 7.9% |
| 6-9 years | 5 | — |
| 10-13 years | 12 | — |
| 14+ years | 261 | 36% |
What the Multivan 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.
- Tyres49 dangerous28.7%
- Brakes10 dangerous23.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment23.1%
- Suspension2 dangerous21%
- Visibility18.5%
- Body, chassis, structure3 dangerous17.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems12.3%
Is the Multivan getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 4.2% from 2024 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 982 | 1 | 2.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,424 | 2 | 4.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Multivan 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 Multivan 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 cords19 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm19 tests
- 3Washers: not working18 tests
- 4Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength13 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed12 tests
- 6SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault12 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction11 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working11 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Multivan collects 2.35 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 1.6mm236 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure80 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine50 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded48 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened28 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick28 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened23 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre21 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Multivan MOT pass rate?
91.1% of the 2,181 Volkswagen Multivan first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 8.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Multivan 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 19 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Washers: not working". By section, tyres appears in 28.7% of failures, brakes appears in 23.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 23.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 7.9%; at 14+ years it was 36%. The median Volkswagen Multivan tested in 2025 was 2 years old with 46,764 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Multivan getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.7 points to 4.2% from 2024 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year, which is about what ageing alone predicts (2 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 Multivan 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 Multivan?
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.