42,896 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Scirocco reliability and MOT pass rate
73.2% passed first time. The 26.8% fail rate is 4.2 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 95,533 miles.
Pass rate
73.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 26.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
95,533 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 4 | — |
| 6-9 years | 9,685 | 17.7% |
| 10-13 years | 16,336 | 26.7% |
| 14+ years | 16,871 | 32.2% |
What the Scirocco 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.
- Suspension238 dangerous47.7%
- Tyres4,061 dangerous31.9%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment13 dangerous29.2%
- Brakes1,234 dangerous28.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous12.2%
- Visibility9 dangerous8.9%
- Body, chassis, structure35 dangerous7%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous3.3%
Is the Scirocco getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 26.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.9 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 49,779 | 10 | 23.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 48,799 | 11 | 25.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 42,064 | 12 | 26.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 42,887 | 12 | 26.8% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Scirocco 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 Scirocco in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken2,077 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,284 tests
- 3Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements986 tests
- 4Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt971 tests
- 5Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction970 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed896 tests
- 7Position lamp: not working883 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick742 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Scirocco collects 2.87 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 1.6mm7,776 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,288 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,729 tests
- 4Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened3,944 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure3,400 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,034 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine2,812 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,541 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Scirocco MOT pass rate?
73.2% of the 42,896 Volkswagen Scirocco first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 26.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Scirocco usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 2,077 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements". By section, suspension appears in 47.7% of failures, tyres appears in 31.9% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 29.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 32.2%. The median Volkswagen Scirocco tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 95,533 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Scirocco getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.4 points to 26.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 4.9 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 Scirocco 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 5 safety recalls naming the Volkswagen Scirocco: Volkswagen Scirocco recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
Checking a particular Scirocco?
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.