2012 Volkswagen Touareg MOT pass rate: 80.2% (5,558 tests)

2012-registered Volkswagen Touaregs passed 80.2% of 5,558 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 8.9 points better than all UK cars registered in 2012 (71.2%). This is one of the strongest Touareg years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

80.2%Pass rate, 2012 cars

108.9Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

5,558Tests analysed

109,599 miMedian mileage at test

83.8% / 80.1%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2012 Touareg getting worse?

Pass rate of 2012-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	81.3% +9.0 vs same-age
2024	79.4% +8.5 vs same-age
2025	79.6% +9.3 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2012 Touareg

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	782	37.4%
2	Tyres	385	18.4%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	321	15.3%
4	Brakes	307	14.7%
5	Visibility	107	5.1%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	59	2.8%

All Touareg years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2004	1,869	71.6%	+7.3 pts	135,530
2005	3,435	70.1%	+5.6 pts	144,454
2006	4,957	71.5%	+7.1 pts	143,713
2007	5,849	70.6%	+5.5 pts	139,377
2008	4,251	70.3%	+5.2 pts	135,826
2009	3,285	71.5%	+5.1 pts	125,092
2010	2,200	72.6%	+5.2 pts	126,256
2011	5,063	77.0%	+7.9 pts	120,489
2012 (this page)	5,558	80.2%	+8.9 pts	109,599
2013	6,939	80.3%	+7.0 pts	101,869
2014	9,127	81.9%	+6.0 pts	92,261
2015	12,303	79.4%	+0.7 pts	81,521
2016	11,447	81.2%	-0.2 pts	72,712
2017	9,698	79.7%	-4.3 pts	63,056
2018	4,640	86.6%	+0.3 pts	53,516
2019	8,650	87.8%	-0.6 pts	45,808
2020	1,910	92.3%	+2.4 pts	38,442

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volkswagen Touareg years to avoid.

Buying a 2012 Touareg? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2012 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?

2012-registered examples passed 80.2% of their MOT tests (5,558 tests, 2023–2025), +8.9 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 14 years old with a median 109,599 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2012 Touareg?

The median tested example shows 109,599 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.