Volkswagen Lupo: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Lupo fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 11 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 6,065 individual Volkswagen Lupo tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 65.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 34 in every 100 Volkswagen Lupos 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 Lupo tested had covered 88,080 miles and was built around 2002.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Lupo sits 11 points below the national average, ranked 1,856 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 Lupo 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 Lupos at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Lupo

1. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.8% of tests (10.37x the national rate for this defect)
2. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.2% of tests (9.09x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 4.3% of tests (8.46x the national rate for this defect)
4. 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., 3.3% of tests (6.25x the national rate for this defect)
5. Emissions test unable to be completed, 2.5% of tests (5.97x the national rate for this defect)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 5.2% of tests (5.15x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 8.1% of tests (3.44x the national rate for this defect)
8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 3.2% of tests (2.52x the national rate for this defect)
9. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.6% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3.5% of tests (1.84x the national rate for this defect)

From 6,066 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Lupo tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 2.99% of these flagged Volkswagen Lupo defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Lupo

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 Lupo before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 10% of tests (17.8x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 14.9% of tests (5.25x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 20.5% of tests (4.34x the national rate for this advisory)
4. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 20.9% of tests (4.04x the national rate for this advisory)
5. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 5.1% of tests (4x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 21.3% of tests (3.83x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 4.2% of tests (3.77x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 19.3% of tests (3.11x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 4.2% of tests (3.08x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 7.8% of tests (2.94x the national rate for this advisory)

From 6,066 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Lupo tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Lupo pass rate by model year

From its 1999 to its 2005 model year, the Volkswagen Lupo's first-time pass rate has risen 7.6 points, from 64.9% to 72.5%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Lupo year:

• 1999 Volkswagen Lupo - 64.9% first-time pass, 350 tests
• 2000 Volkswagen Lupo - 65.6% first-time pass, 739 tests
• 2001 Volkswagen Lupo - 65.5% first-time pass, 1,040 tests
• 2002 Volkswagen Lupo - 65% first-time pass, 1,419 tests
• 2003 Volkswagen Lupo - 68.6% first-time pass, 1,006 tests
• 2004 Volkswagen Lupo - 66.2% first-time pass, 1,023 tests
• 2005 Volkswagen Lupo - 72.5% first-time pass, 411 tests

Volkswagen Lupo by fuel type

The Volkswagen Lupo's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.1 points: petrol passes first time 66.6% of the time (5,299 tests) against 65.5% for diesel (698 tests).

• Petrol Volkswagen Lupo - 66.6% first-time pass, 5,299 tests
• Diesel Volkswagen Lupo - 65.5% first-time pass, 698 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 Amica - 65.8%
• Daihatsu Fourtrak - 65.8%
• Alfa Romeo 156 - 65.8%
• Citroen Ds5 - 65.7%
• Volkswagen Bora - 65.6%
• Hyundai Veloster - 65.6%

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

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-lupo"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/volkswagen-lupo.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Volkswagen Lupo MOT Pass Rate: 65.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-lupo"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/volkswagen-lupo.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Volkswagen Lupo most common MOT failure: Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits (2.8% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate