How reliable are Volkswagens? Every model at the MOT
DVSA recorded 8,871,450 MOT tests on Volkswagen cars in 2023 to 2025, and 72.6% were a pass. That is 0.9 points above the figure for every car tested. Below, each of the 34 models with enough tests to judge. The best-performing Volkswagen with a meaningful sample is the T-Roc at 91% and the weakest the FOX at 51.6%. A gap that size within one make usually reflects the age of the cars still on the road rather than the design, which is why the age-adjusted column matters.
| Model | Pass rate | Age-adjusted | Tests | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf | 74.4% | +5.9 | 2,621,039 | 2000 to 2023 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 67.2% | -2.2 | 1,852,099 | 2000 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Transporter | 69% | -0.8 | 839,134 | 2000 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 81.9% | +4.3 | 707,203 | 2008 to 2023 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 71.1% | +2.5 | 564,146 | 2000 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Caddy | 68.5% | -3.1 | 435,933 | 2004 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen up! | 80.3% | +6 | 367,906 | 2012 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 91% | +5.7 | 220,717 | 2018 to 2023 |
| Volkswagen Touran | 67.4% | +1.7 | 217,045 | 2004 to 2021 |
| Volkswagen Scirocco | 69% | +1.2 | 138,527 | 2008 to 2018 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 58.1% | -3.2 | 127,908 | 2000 to 2018 |
| Volkswagen Touareg | 76.6% | +4.6 | 110,299 | 2004 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Sharan | 75.7% | +2 | 106,068 | 2004 to 2021 |
| Volkswagen FOX | 51.6% | -7.5 | 76,636 | 2006 to 2011 |
| Volkswagen T-Cross | 89.2% | +2.6 | 67,893 | 2019 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Amarok | 76.5% | -0.2 | 61,327 | 2011 to 2020 |
| Volkswagen ID.3 | 89.7% | +2.9 | 46,114 | 2020 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Caravelle | 67% | +0.1 | 42,652 | 2000 to 2021 |
| Volkswagen CC | 72.9% | +2.8 | 39,720 | 2012 to 2016 |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 64.5% | +0.4 | 38,878 | 2006 to 2017 |
| Volkswagen Eos | 63.4% | +5.2 | 34,793 | 2006 to 2013 |
| Volkswagen California | 83% | +5.1 | 28,547 | 2011 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Arteon | 86.6% | +2.1 | 23,691 | 2017 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Crafter | 69.6% | -1.5 | 18,364 | 2007 to 2020 |
| Volkswagen E-Golf | 86.3% | +0.9 | 18,328 | 2019 to 2020 |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 88.8% | +0.5 | 18,124 | 2021 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen Lupo | 59.8% | – | 16,747 | 2000 to 2005 |
| Volkswagen Bora | 59.1% | – | 15,175 | 2000 to 2005 |
| Volkswagen Taigo | 88.9% | +0.8 | 5,746 | 2022 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen ID5 | 88.4% | -0.1 | 2,861 | 2022 to 2022 |
| Volkswagen E-UP | 91.7% | +4.4 | 2,518 | 2021 to 2021 |
| Volkswagen LT | 54.7% | – | 2,162 | 2004 to 2005 |
| Volkswagen Multivan | 90.4% | – | 1,974 | 2023 to 2023 |
| Volkswagen Move | 80.3% | +10 | 1,176 | 2014 to 2014 |
Each model page breaks the figures down by year of first use and by mileage, lists the defects that fail it and the advisories testers record before a failure, and compares petrol, diesel and hybrid versions where the data allows. For a specific car, the free MOT history check shows its own record against these averages, and the reliability index for every make shows where Volkswagen sits overall.
Questions people ask
Are Volkswagens reliable?
Volkswagen cars pass 72.6% of MOTs against 71.7% for all cars, from 8,871,450 tests, and 89% pass their first test at three years old. Within the range the up! is the strongest once age is allowed for and the FOX the weakest.
Which Volkswagen is the most reliable?
Age-adjusted, the Volkswagen up!, at +6 points against cars of the same age; on raw pass rate the T-Roc leads at 91%, helped by a younger fleet.
What fails Volkswagens most at the MOT?
Across the range: tyre tread below the legal minimum, a broken coil spring and a worn suspension bush. Each model page lists its own top failures and the advisories that come before them.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 to 2025. Methodology.