28,390 tests in 2025
Volkswagen T-Cross reliability and MOT pass rate
90.1% passed first time. The 9.9% fail rate is 12.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 4 years old with 28,037 miles.
Pass rate
90.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
28,037 mi
4 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 21,798 | 8.5% |
| 6-9 years | 6,254 | 15% |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the T-Cross 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.
- Tyres841 dangerous38.1%
- Brakes871 dangerous33.6%
- Steering1 dangerous13%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous9.5%
- Visibility1 dangerous9.4%
- Suspension2 dangerous7.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.6%
Is the T-Cross getting worse?
The fail rate rose 5 points to 10.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6,871 | 3 | 5.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 13,604 | 3 | 8.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 16,454 | 4 | 9.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 21,610 | 5 | 10.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical T-Cross 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 T-Cross in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick638 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords440 tests
- 3Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt306 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm193 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed185 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn156 tests
- 7Rear fog lamp: not working147 tests
- 8Washers: not working131 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical T-Cross collects 2.13 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.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,050 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,861 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,790 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,636 tests
- 5Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt781 tests
- 6Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn588 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre548 tests
- 8Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords443 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen T-Cross MOT pass rate?
90.1% of the 28,390 Volkswagen T-Cross first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen T-Cross usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 638 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, tyres appears in 38.1% of failures, brakes appears in 33.6% of failures, steering appears in 13% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.5%; at 6-9 years it was 15%. The median Volkswagen T-Cross tested in 2025 was 4 years old with 28,037 miles.
Is the Volkswagen T-Cross getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 5 points to 10.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 2.3 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 T-Cross 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 T-Cross?
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.