Volkswagen Transporter MOT pass rate: 70.7% (269,178 tests, 2025)

The Volkswagen Transporter passed 70.7% of its 269,178 MOT tests in 2025 — 6.8 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 13 years old with 118,398 miles on the clock.

70.7%Pass rate (2025)

269,178MOT tests analysed

118,398 miMedian mileage at test

13 yrsMedian age at test

How the Transporter compares

Volkswagen Transporter

70.7%

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

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	58,349	25.5%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	46,045	20.1%
3	Brakes	44,296	19.4%
4	Body, chassis, structure	22,663	9.9%
5	Tyres	19,397	8.5%
6	Visibility	15,245	6.7%

Pre-MOT checklist for Transporter 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
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
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

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

Transporter pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2001, 2002, 2003. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2011, 2013. Full ranking and method: Volkswagen Transporter years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	18,995	59.7%	-7.0 pts	176,001
2002	18,892	60.7%	-5.0 pts	174,505
2003	20,573	60.3%	-4.8 pts	170,125
2004	26,997	61.1%	-3.4 pts	174,608
2005	29,665	61.7%	-2.9 pts	166,888
2006	33,635	61.8%	-2.7 pts	161,235
2007	39,621	64.6%	-0.5 pts	154,942
2008	37,454	64.9%	-0.2 pts	145,782
2009	26,858	67.0%	+0.6 pts	134,860
2010	32,067	69.3%	+1.9 pts	131,890
2011	35,821	71.7%	+2.5 pts	124,750
2012	36,794	73.4%	+2.2 pts	115,489
2013	42,846	76.0%	+2.7 pts	108,438
2014	47,097	75.4%	-0.4 pts	96,375
2015	53,196	77.1%	-1.6 pts	86,048
2016	58,914	79.8%	-1.5 pts	78,278
2017	59,295	80.7%	-3.3 pts	67,431
2018	58,110	82.8%	-3.5 pts	58,069
2019	40,352	85.4%	-3.0 pts	47,280
2020	1,935	86.3%	-3.6 pts	36,308

Check a specific Transporter 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 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 T-Roc92.0% pass rate · 55,178 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Transporter?

In 2025, 70.7% of 269,178 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Transporter were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Transporter fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (25.5% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Volkswagen Transporter reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 70.7% it performs below the national average at a median age of 13 years and 118,398 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

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.