2012 Volkswagen Up MOT pass rate: 81.0% (41,028 tests)

2012-registered Volkswagen Ups passed 81.0% of 41,028 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 9.8 points better than all UK cars registered in 2012 (71.2%). This is one of the strongest Up years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

81.0%Pass rate, 2012 cars

109.8Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

41,028Tests analysed

65,090 miMedian mileage at test

81.0% / 87.5%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2012 Up getting worse?

Pass rate of 2012-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	82.8% +10.5 vs same-age
2024	79.9% +8.9 vs same-age
2025	80.2% +9.9 vs same-age

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 Up

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	5,321	31.0%
2	Tyres	2,590	15.1%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2,533	14.7%
4	Suspension	2,255	13.1%
5	Visibility	1,379	8.0%
6	Body, chassis, structure	1,289	7.5%

All Up years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2012 (this page)	41,028	81.0%	+9.8 pts	65,090
2013	59,101	82.7%	+9.4 pts	58,022
2014	62,076	83.8%	+8.0 pts	51,505
2015	47,975	84.0%	+5.3 pts	44,878
2016	37,919	83.8%	+2.5 pts	38,880
2017	39,064	86.9%	+2.9 pts	34,346
2018	38,010	89.2%	+2.8 pts	27,980
2019	24,427	92.5%	+4.1 pts	22,169
2020	5,620	95.2%	+5.3 pts	16,426
2021	1,797	95.2%	+4.7 pts	15,880

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Volkswagen Up years to avoid.

Buying a 2012 Up? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
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

FAQs

Is a 2012 Volkswagen Up reliable?

2012-registered examples passed 81.0% of their MOT tests (41,028 tests, 2023–2025), +9.8 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 14 years old with a median 65,090 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2012 Up?

The median tested example shows 65,090 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.

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 OGL v3.0.