Volkswagen Transporter years to avoid — 719,117 MOT tests ranked
Every Transporter 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.
| Rank | Year | Index | Vs same-age | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013 Strong | 102.7 | +2.7 pts | 76.0% | 42,846 |
| 2 | 2011 Strong | 102.5 | +2.5 pts | 71.7% | 35,821 |
| 3 | 2012 | 102.2 | +2.2 pts | 73.4% | 36,794 |
| 4 | 2010 | 101.9 | +1.9 pts | 69.3% | 32,067 |
| 5 | 2009 | 100.6 | +0.6 pts | 67.0% | 26,858 |
| 6 | 2008 | 99.8 | -0.2 pts | 64.9% | 37,454 |
| 7 | 2014 | 99.6 | -0.4 pts | 75.4% | 47,097 |
| 8 | 2007 | 99.5 | -0.5 pts | 64.6% | 39,621 |
| 9 | 2016 | 98.5 | -1.5 pts | 79.8% | 58,914 |
| 10 | 2015 | 98.4 | -1.6 pts | 77.1% | 53,196 |
| 11 | 2006 | 97.3 | -2.7 pts | 61.8% | 33,635 |
| 12 | 2005 | 97.1 | -2.9 pts | 61.7% | 29,665 |
| 13 | 2019 | 97.0 | -3.0 pts | 85.4% | 40,352 |
| 14 | 2017 | 96.7 | -3.3 pts | 80.7% | 59,295 |
| 15 | 2004 | 96.6 | -3.4 pts | 61.1% | 26,997 |
| 16 | 2018 | 96.5 | -3.5 pts | 82.8% | 58,110 |
| 17 | 2020 | 96.4 | -3.6 pts | 86.3% | 1,935 |
| 18 | 2003 Inspect | 95.2 | -4.8 pts | 60.3% | 20,573 |
| 19 | 2002 Inspect | 95.0 | -5.0 pts | 60.7% | 18,892 |
| 20 | 2001 Inspect | 93.0 | -7.0 pts | 59.7% | 18,995 |
Why 2001 and 2002 and 2003 rank lower
The 2003 cohort passes 60.3% of tests (-4.8 points versus same-age cars) at a median 170,125 miles, with brakes the leading failure system. The 2002 cohort passes 60.7% of tests (-5.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 174,505 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2001 cohort passes 59.7% of tests (-7.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 176,001 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 2001 example beats a neglected 2011 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.
- Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.
FAQs
Which Transporter years should I avoid?
Based on 719,117 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2001, 2002, 2003 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 Transporter year to buy used?
2011 and 2013 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 Transporter reliable overall?
Across 719,117 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 97.8 (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.