2012 Volkswagen Transporter MOT pass rate: 73.4% (36,794 tests)
Is the 2012 Transporter getting worse?
Pass rate of 2012-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 75.0% +2.7 vs same-age |
75.0% visual scale |
| 2024 | 73.2% +2.3 vs same-age |
73.2% visual scale |
| 2025 | 72.0% +1.8 vs same-age |
72.0% visual scale |
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 Transporter
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6,879 | 28.9% |
| 2 | Brakes | 3,935 | 16.5% |
| 3 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3,755 | 15.8% |
| 4 | Tyres | 2,974 | 12.5% |
| 5 | Visibility | 2,146 | 9.0% |
| 6 | Body, chassis, structure | 1,247 | 5.2% |
All Transporter years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| 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 (this page) | 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 |
Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volkswagen Transporter years to avoid.
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2012 Volkswagen Transporter reliable?
2012-registered examples passed 73.4% of their MOT tests (36,794 tests, 2023–2025), +2.2 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 14 years old with a median 115,489 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2012 Transporter?
The median tested example shows 115,489 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.
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.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- 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, 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 the Open Government Licence v3.0.