Volkswagen E-Up: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen E-Up passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 16.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,545 individual Volkswagen E-Up tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 93.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 7 in every 100 Volkswagen E-Ups 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 E-Up tested had covered 16,335 miles and was built around 2021.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen E-Up sits 16.7 points above the national average, ranked 198 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 E-Up 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 E-Ups at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen E-Up

1. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.2% of tests
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.8% of tests
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 0.7% of tests
4. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
5. 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, 0.3% of tests
6. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.3% of tests
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.3% of tests
8. A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber, 0.3% of tests (1.34x the national rate for this defect)
9. Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended, 0.3% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect)
10. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 0.2% of tests

From 1,540 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen E-Up tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.8% of these flagged Volkswagen E-Up defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen E-Up

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 E-Up before it actually fails on it.

1. A tyre seriously damaged, 24.7% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 19.4% of tests, also fails
3. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 1.5% of tests
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.2% of tests
5. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 0.5% of tests
6. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 0.4% of tests
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.3% of tests
8. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.3% of tests
9. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 0.1% of tests
10. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 0.1% of tests

From 1,540 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen E-Up tests, 2024.

Volkswagen E-Up pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen E-Up year:

• 2020 Volkswagen E-Up - 90.8% first-time pass, 239 tests
• 2021 Volkswagen E-Up - 94.2% first-time pass, 1,260 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

• Hyundai Tucson Premium T-Gdi Hev Auto - 93.4%
• Volvo Xc40 R-Design T4 Recharge Auto - 93.4%
• Nissan Qashqai Acenta Prem T Mhev Cvt - 93.4%
• Ford Fiesta Vignale Edition T Mhev - 93.4%
• Mercedes-Benz GT - 93.4%
• Bentley Mulsanne - 93.4%

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?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Volkswagen E-Up? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-e-up"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/volkswagen-e-up.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Volkswagen E-Up MOT Pass Rate: 93.4% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Volkswagen E-Up's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-e-up"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/volkswagen-e-up.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Volkswagen E-Up most common MOT failure: A tyre seriously damaged (3.2% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate