Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline TDI MOT pass rate: 83.2% (11,217 tests, 2025)

Name: Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline TDI 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 Transporter T28 Startline TDI passed 83.2% of its 11,217 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.7 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 4 years old with 49,307 miles on the clock.

83.2%Pass rate (2025)

11,217MOT tests analysed

49,307 miMedian mileage at test

4 yrsMedian age at test

How the Transporter T28 Startline TDI compares

Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline TDI

83.2%

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 Transporter T28 Startline TDI

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Transporter T28 Startline TDI:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	1,222	36.0%
2	Tyres	623	18.3%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	570	16.8%
4	Brakes	369	10.9%
5	Visibility	301	8.9%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	235	6.9%

Pre-MOT checklist for Transporter T28 Startline TDI owners

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

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

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 →

Transporter T28 Startline TDI pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2019	3,604	82.3%	-6.1 pts	65,759	82.3% visual scale
2020	8,772	82.0%	-7.9 pts	48,162	82.0% visual scale
2021	8,162	83.7%	-6.7 pts	44,444	83.7% visual scale
2022	2,829	85.4%	-5.9 pts	33,142	85.4% 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
Tyres: 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

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

Brake pads wearing thin — 420 cars · 4.5% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 610 cars · 2.0% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Transporter T28 Startline TDI 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 Transporter T28 Startline TDI?

In 2025, 83.2% of 11,217 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline TDI were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Transporter T28 Startline TDI fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (36.0% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Volkswagen Transporter T28 Startline TDI reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 83.2% it performs above the national average at a median age of 4 years and 49,307 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.