2,270 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Unclassified reliability and MOT pass rate
75.8% passed first time. The 24.2% fail rate is 1.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 17 years old with 70,365 miles.
Pass rate
75.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
70,365 mi
17 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 98 | — |
| 6-9 years | 295 | 10.5% |
| 10-13 years | 512 | 19.9% |
| 14+ years | 1,358 | 30.3% |
What the Unclassified 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 equipment14 dangerous43.1%
- Brakes52 dangerous34.2%
- Suspension10 dangerous33.5%
- Body, chassis, structure8 dangerous25.6%
- Visibility18.2%
- Tyres84 dangerous16.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous15.8%
- Steering6 dangerous11.1%
Is the Unclassified getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 24.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 0.9 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,887 | 16 | 26% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,684 | 16 | 25% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,168 | 18 | 25.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,270 | 17 | 24.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Unclassified 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 Unclassified in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt47 tests
- 2Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements46 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working45 tests
- 4Washers: not working37 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn34 tests
- 6Service brake imbalance: across an axle30 tests
- 7Service brake performance: excessively binding30 tests
- 8Ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt29 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Unclassified collects 2.82 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 engine206 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm181 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened135 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure127 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded113 tests
- 6Wheel bearings: has excessive play112 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn104 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick66 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Unclassified MOT pass rate?
75.8% of the 2,270 Volkswagen Unclassified first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Unclassified usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 47 failed tests, followed by "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 43.1% of failures, brakes appears in 34.2% of failures, suspension appears in 33.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 5.1%; at 14+ years it was 30.3%. The median Volkswagen Unclassified tested in 2025 was 17 years old with 70,365 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Unclassified getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.8 points to 24.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 0.9 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 Unclassified 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 Unclassified?
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.