Volkswagen Amarok: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Amarok passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 19,998 individual Volkswagen Amarok tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 79.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 20 in every 100 Volkswagen Amaroks presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Volkswagen Amarok tested had covered 94,158 miles and was built around 2016.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Amarok sits 3 points above the national average, ranked 1,449 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volkswagen Amarok rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Volkswagen Amaroks at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Amarok

1. Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value, 1.6% of tests (4.47x the national rate for this defect)
2. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 2% of tests (3.41x the national rate for this defect)
3. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.1% of tests (2.54x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.3% of tests (2.51x the national rate for this defect)
5. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.5% of tests (2.45x the national rate for this defect)
6. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.3% of tests (2.43x the national rate for this defect)
7. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.4% of tests (1.87x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.2% of tests
9. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.1% of tests
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.8% of tests

From 20,742 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Amarok tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.99% of these flagged Volkswagen Amarok defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Amarok

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volkswagen Amarok before it actually fails on it.

1. Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive, 0.7% of tests (3.8x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel bearing excessively rough, 0.9% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A shock absorber which has negligible damping effect, 0.8% of tests (2.31x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 8.7% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.8% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.6% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 22.5% of tests, also fails
8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 8.2% of tests, also fails
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8% of tests, also fails
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 5.4% of tests

From 20,742 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Amarok tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Amarok pass rate by model year

From its 2011 to its 2020 model year, the Volkswagen Amarok's first-time pass rate has risen 21.8 points, from 67.5% to 89.3%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Amarok year:

• 2011 Volkswagen Amarok - 67.5% first-time pass, 581 tests
• 2012 Volkswagen Amarok - 72% first-time pass, 1,267 tests
• 2013 Volkswagen Amarok - 75.5% first-time pass, 1,872 tests
• 2014 Volkswagen Amarok - 74.5% first-time pass, 2,358 tests
• 2015 Volkswagen Amarok - 78.4% first-time pass, 2,902 tests
• 2016 Volkswagen Amarok - 80% first-time pass, 2,580 tests
• 2017 Volkswagen Amarok - 81.2% first-time pass, 2,278 tests
• 2018 Volkswagen Amarok - 84.3% first-time pass, 2,803 tests
• 2019 Volkswagen Amarok - 87% first-time pass, 2,839 tests
• 2020 Volkswagen Amarok - 89.3% first-time pass, 1,166 tests

Other Volkswagen models

• Volkswagen Golf - 77.1%
• Volkswagen Polo - 71.4%
• Volkswagen Transporter - 70.8%
• Volkswagen Tiguan - 82.4%
• Volkswagen Passat - 74.7%
• Volkswagen Caddy - 73.5%
• Volkswagen Up - 84.4%
• Volkswagen Touran - 72.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Mercedes-Benz 280 - 79.8%
• Renault Captur - 79.7%
• Toyota Verso - 79.7%
• Mercedes-Benz 300 - 79.7%
• Renault Trafic Sl28 B-Ness Energy Dci - 79.7%
• BMW 130 - 79.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate