Check a car
MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Volkswagen Transporter MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 72.8% of 315,340 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Transporter ended in a pass, 3.7 points below the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 80.4% against 82.0%, ranking 96th of 148 models.

Pass rate
72.8%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
315,340
Initial MOTs in 2023
Ages 3 to 10
80.4%
All cars 82.0% · rank 96 of 148
Mileage at 10
107k
Median; middle half 79k to 141k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Volkswagen Transporter MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
212,143 tests
86.0%
31,000 · 21k to 49k
317,925 tests
85.7%
39,000 · 25k to 59k
421,326 tests
83.8%
49,000 · 33k to 71k
521,183 tests
82.4%
57,000 · 39k to 83k
621,391 tests
80.7%
67,000 · 47k to 93k
719,860 tests
80.1%
75,000 · 53k to 103k
818,421 tests
77.8%
85,000 · 61k to 115k
915,821 tests
76.2%
97,000 · 71k to 129k
1014,436 tests
76.0%
107,000 · 79k to 141k
1112,843 tests
72.6%
115,000 · 87k to 151k
1212,122 tests
71.2%
123,000 · 93k to 161k
1310,532 tests
68.8%
129,000 · 97k to 165k
1410,495 tests
66.4%
137,000 · 101k to 175k
1513,878 tests
64.4%
149,000 · 113k to 185k
1613,131 tests
63.5%
153,000 · 119k to 191k
1711,036 tests
61.9%
161,000 · 125k to 199k
1810,279 tests
60.7%
167,000 · 131k to 205k
197,945 tests
59.6%
171,000 · 133k to 209k
206,944 tests
60.6%
169,000 · 129k to 209k
216,886 tests
59.7%
173,000 · 135k to 211k
225,726 tests
59.3%
173,000 · 133k to 211k
234,584 tests
58.9%
173,000 · 131k to 211k
244,108 tests
59.6%
175,000 · 129k to 213k
253,702 tests
59.2%
171,000 · 123k to 209k
Transporter pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Transporter. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
3.2in 100 tests
Side and tail lights
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2.3in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
2.2in 100 tests
Screen washers
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
1.9in 100 tests
Wiper blades
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1.9in 100 tests
Number plate lights
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps
1.7in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1.7in 100 tests
Brake lights
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1.7in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
7.9in 100 tests
Number plate lights
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (minor defect)
7.0in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
6.9in 100 tests
Engine oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
6.9in 100 tests
Brake pipes
Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded
6.6in 100 tests
Windscreen
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)
4.9in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre seriously damaged
4.7in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
3.6in 100 tests

What to check on a used Transporter

The parts that come up most often in Volkswagen Transporter MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  2. Lights
    Walk round with every light on, and ask someone to press the brake pedal so you can see both brake lights.
  3. Oil leaks
    Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
  4. Brake pipes and hoses
    Look underneath at the metal brake pipes for heavy rust, and at the rubber hoses for cracks or bulges.
  5. Wipers, washers and windscreen
    Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.

Check a specific Transporter

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Volkswagen Transporter?
In 2023, 72.8% of 315,340 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Transporter ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 80.4% against 82.0%.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Transporter MOT?
The most common failures were coil springs (3.2 in 100 tests), side and tail lights (2.3 in 100 tests), suspension and drive joints (2.2 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Volkswagen Transporter?
At 10 years old, the median Volkswagen Transporter at its MOT had covered 107,000 miles, and the middle half had between 79,000 and 141,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Volkswagen Transporter?
The most common advisories were brake discs (7.9 in 100 tests), number plate lights (7.0 in 100 tests), brake pads (6.9 in 100 tests).

Other Volkswagen models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Volkswagen models or see every make.

Golf77.9%Polo73.1%Transporter72.8%Tiguan84.6%Passat75.0%Caddy74.4%up!86.3%Touran71.9%Crafter72.3%T-Roc93.1%Scirocco74.3%Beetle64.1%Sharan79.0%Touareg79.3%Fox61.1%Amarok82.0%Caravelle69.2%Jetta69.7%CC77.2%Eos69.1%California84.9%LT59.9%Lupo66.3%Bora65.4%Arteon87.9%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.