Volkswagen Touran years to avoid — 216,161 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2004, 2005, 2006. Strongest in the data: 2016. The ranking uses 216,161 MOT tests across 18 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 4.3-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Touran year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2016 Strong 104.3 +4.3 pts 85.6% 10,772
2 2011 102.5 +2.5 pts 71.6% 17,718
3 2012 102.1 +2.1 pts 73.4% 17,009
4 2017 101.9 +1.9 pts 85.9% 12,749
5 2014 101.5 +1.5 pts 77.3% 14,611
6 2013 101.4 +1.4 pts 74.7% 15,876
7 2020 100.6 +0.6 pts 90.5% 6,272
8 2021 100.6 +0.6 pts 91.1% 1,702
9 2019 100.5 +0.5 pts 88.9% 8,234
10 2015 99.7 -0.3 pts 78.4% 11,344
11 2018 99.3 -0.7 pts 85.6% 11,063
12 2007 99.1 -0.9 pts 64.2% 16,688
13 2008 98.5 -1.5 pts 63.6% 15,022
14 2009 97.7 -2.3 pts 64.1% 15,750
15 2010 97.3 -2.7 pts 64.7% 14,815
16 2004 Inspect 97.1 -2.9 pts 61.4% 5,708
17 2005 Inspect 96.5 -3.5 pts 60.9% 8,829
18 2006 Inspect 96.0 -4.0 pts 60.4% 11,999

Why 2004 and 2005 and 2006 rank lower

The 2004 cohort passes 61.4% of tests (-2.9 points versus same-age cars) at a median 148,334 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2005 cohort passes 60.9% of tests (-3.5 points versus same-age cars) at a median 147,160 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. The 2006 cohort passes 60.4% of tests (-4.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 140,502 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2004 example beats a neglected 2016 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (4.3 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Touran years should I avoid?

Based on 216,161 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2004, 2005, 2006 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Touran year to buy used?

2016 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Touran reliable overall?

Across 216,161 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 100.1 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.