Volkswagen Up: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Up passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 121,548 individual Volkswagen Up tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate84.4%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+7.7 points
Tests analysed121,548
Average mileage at test47,740 miles
Average year of manufacture2015
Reliability rank1,277 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 84.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 Volkswagen 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 Up tested had covered 47,740 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Up sits 7.7 points above the national average, ranked 1,277 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 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Volkswagen Up: £700 at UK salvage auction, from 8 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Up

  1. Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap, 0.9% of tests (7.48x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 1.3% of tests (3.53x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.5% of tests (2.45x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 0.9% of tests (1.85x the national rate for this defect)
  5. 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., 0.9% of tests (1.67x the national rate for this defect)
  6. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests
  7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.9% of tests
  8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.9% of tests
  9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.7% of tests
  10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.9% of tests

From 121,453 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Up tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.62% of these flagged Volkswagen 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 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 Up before it actually fails on it.

  1. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.1% of tests (2.03x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  2. A tyre seriously damaged, 25.6% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  3. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 1% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this advisory)
  4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 19% of tests, also fails
  5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 7.8% of tests, also fails
  6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 7.8% of tests
  7. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.9% of tests
  8. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 3.1% of tests
  9. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 1.9% of tests
  10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.7% of tests

From 121,453 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Up tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Up pass rate by model year

From its 2012 to its 2021 model year, the Volkswagen Up's first-time pass rate has risen 15.6 points, from 80% to 95.6%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Up year:

Volkswagen Up by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number.

Other Volkswagen models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Volkswagen Up MOT pass rate badge: 84.4%

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Volkswagen Up most common MOT failure: Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap (0.9% of tests)

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate