Volkswagen Scirocco: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Scirocco fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 3.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 47,874 individual Volkswagen Scirocco tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 73.6% first-time pass rate means roughly 26 in every 100 Volkswagen Sciroccos 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 Scirocco tested had covered 91,933 miles and was built around 2012.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Scirocco sits 3.1 points below the national average, ranked 1,657 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 Scirocco 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 Scirocco: £500 at UK salvage auction, from 12 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Scirocco

1. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.4% of tests (2.37x the national rate for this defect)
2. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.5% of tests (1.97x the national rate for this defect)
3. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.3% of tests (1.96x the national rate for this defect)
4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 2.2% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.6% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2% of tests (1.52x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 4.2% of tests (1.51x the national rate for this defect)
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 1.4% of tests (1.49x the national rate for this defect)
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 1.5% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4.5% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this defect)

From 47,816 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Scirocco tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.1% of these flagged Volkswagen Scirocco defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Scirocco

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 Scirocco before it actually fails on it.

1. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 14.7% of tests (2.84x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 2.9% of tests (2.69x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3.8% of tests (1.89x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 7% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 7% of tests (1.48x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 17.2% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 18.6% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 30.9% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 15.2% of tests, also fails
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 8.9% of tests

From 47,816 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Scirocco tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Scirocco pass rate by model year

From its 2008 to its 2018 model year, the Volkswagen Scirocco's first-time pass rate has risen 16.9 points, from 68.7% to 85.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Scirocco year:

• 2008 Volkswagen Scirocco - 68.7% first-time pass, 945 tests
• 2009 Volkswagen Scirocco - 68.3% first-time pass, 5,222 tests
• 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco - 65.9% first-time pass, 6,211 tests
• 2011 Volkswagen Scirocco - 66.7% first-time pass, 5,967 tests
• 2012 Volkswagen Scirocco - 72% first-time pass, 4,280 tests
• 2013 Volkswagen Scirocco - 74.2% first-time pass, 4,400 tests
• 2014 Volkswagen Scirocco - 75% first-time pass, 3,758 tests
• 2015 Volkswagen Scirocco - 80% first-time pass, 5,489 tests
• 2016 Volkswagen Scirocco - 83.3% first-time pass, 5,255 tests
• 2017 Volkswagen Scirocco - 83.9% first-time pass, 4,651 tests
• 2018 Volkswagen Scirocco - 85.6% first-time pass, 646 tests

Volkswagen Scirocco by fuel type

The Volkswagen Scirocco's two most-tested fuel types split by 4.5 points: diesel passes first time 72% of the time (26,094 tests) against 76.5% for petrol (21,465 tests).

• Diesel Volkswagen Scirocco - 72% first-time pass, 26,094 tests
• Petrol Volkswagen Scirocco - 76.5% first-time pass, 21,465 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

• Rover MINI - 73.7%
• Mercedes-Benz Vito 110 Progressive Cdi - 73.7%
• MINI Countryman Cooper D All4 - 73.7%
• Mercedes-Benz A 200 - 73.6%
• Mercedes-Benz R-Class - 73.6%
• Daihatsu Copen - 73.6%

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?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate