Volkswagen Lupo MOT pass rate: 67.1% (5,115 tests, 2025)

Name: Volkswagen Lupo MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Volkswagen Lupo passed 67.1% of its 5,115 MOT tests in 2025 — 10.4 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 23 years old with 83,429 miles on the clock.

67.1%Pass rate (2025)

5,115MOT tests analysed

83,429 miMedian mileage at test

23 yrsMedian age at test

How the Lupo compares

Volkswagen Lupo

67.1%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volkswagen average (all models)

77.6%

What fails most on the Volkswagen Lupo

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Lupo:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,278	22.5%
2	Suspension	985	17.4%
3	Brakes	966	17.0%
4	Noise, emissions and leaks	903	15.9%
5	Body, chassis, structure	567	10.0%
6	Tyres	401	7.1%

Pre-MOT checklist for Lupo owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Lupo pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	3,070	65.8%	-0.8 pts	87,502	65.8% visual scale
2002	4,197	66.5%	+0.8 pts	84,084	66.5% visual scale
2003	3,000	67.4%	+2.4 pts	83,248	67.4% visual scale
2004	3,049	66.7%	+2.4 pts	79,401	66.7% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 421 cars · 7.4% failed the same item the next year
Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 323 cars · 4.6% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 491 cars · 3.7% failed the same item the next year
Rigid brake pipes corroded, covered in grease or other material — 414 cars · 2.9% failed the same item the next year
Registration plates deteriorated but not likely to be misread — 213 cars · 2.3% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Lupo before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volkswagen models

Golf77.8% pass rate · 782,869 tests Polo71.4% pass rate · 577,151 tests Transporter70.7% pass rate · 269,178 tests Tiguan81.4% pass rate · 184,098 tests Passat75.3% pass rate · 166,958 tests Caddy73.4% pass rate · 139,412 tests Up84.1% pass rate · 121,528 tests Touran73.2% pass rate · 67,815 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Lupo?

In 2025, 67.1% of 5,115 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Lupo were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Lupo fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (22.5% of its recorded defects), followed by suspension.

Is the Volkswagen Lupo reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 67.1% it performs below the national average at a median age of 23 years and 83,429 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.