Volkswagen Eos: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Eos fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 8.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 12,286 individual Volkswagen Eos tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 68.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 32 in every 100 Volkswagen Eos presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Volkswagen Eos tested had covered 93,955 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Eos sits 8.4 points below the national average, ranked 1,798 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

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 Eos 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Volkswagen Eos: £375 at UK salvage auction, from 5 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Eos

1. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 7.4% of tests (4.03x the national rate for this defect)
2. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.1% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.5% of tests (2.86x the national rate for this defect)
4. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.4% of tests (2.85x the national rate for this defect)
5. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.7% of tests (2.63x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 4.1% of tests (2.45x the national rate for this defect)
7. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.1% of tests (2.38x the national rate for this defect)
8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.2% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)
9. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.5% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 4% of tests (1.44x the national rate for this defect)

From 12,325 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Eos tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.17% of these flagged Volkswagen Eos defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Eos

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 Eos before it actually fails on it.

1. Cable damaged or knotted, 1.5% of tests (17.89x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 18.1% of tests (3.5x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 9.4% of tests (2.4x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.6% of tests (2.31x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 27.3% of tests (2.04x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.4% of tests (1.78x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 21.6% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 34.8% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this advisory)
9. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.4% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 17.3% of tests, also fails

From 12,325 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Eos tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Eos pass rate by model year

From its 2006 to its 2014 model year, the Volkswagen Eos's first-time pass rate has risen 17.9 points, from 64.5% to 82.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Eos year:

• 2006 Volkswagen Eos - 64.5% first-time pass, 966 tests
• 2007 Volkswagen Eos - 65.2% first-time pass, 2,842 tests
• 2008 Volkswagen Eos - 67.5% first-time pass, 2,481 tests
• 2009 Volkswagen Eos - 68.6% first-time pass, 1,266 tests
• 2010 Volkswagen Eos - 69.2% first-time pass, 1,944 tests
• 2011 Volkswagen Eos - 71.5% first-time pass, 1,364 tests
• 2012 Volkswagen Eos - 76% first-time pass, 371 tests
• 2013 Volkswagen Eos - 78.3% first-time pass, 443 tests
• 2014 Volkswagen Eos - 82.4% first-time pass, 336 tests

Volkswagen Eos by fuel type

The Volkswagen Eos's two most-tested fuel types split by 0.4 points: diesel passes first time 68.7% of the time (6,731 tests) against 69.1% for petrol (5,466 tests).

• Diesel Volkswagen Eos - 68.7% first-time pass, 6,731 tests
• Petrol Volkswagen Eos - 69.1% first-time pass, 5,466 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

• Mazda Eunos - 68.5%
• Suzuki Splash - 68.4%
• Citroen Berlingo - 68.3%
• Suzuki Grand Vitara - 68.2%
• Citroen Relay - 68.2%
• Saab 9-3 - 68.1%

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 Eos? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-eos"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/volkswagen-eos.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Volkswagen Eos MOT Pass Rate: 68.3% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-eos"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/volkswagen-eos.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Volkswagen Eos most common MOT failure: A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (7.4% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate