MOT failures by make
Volkswagen MOT failures for “Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
Volkswagen cars failed their MOT on “Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” in 1.35% of 6,099,386 tests in 2023–2024 (82,397 tests) — 1.8 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.74% of tests. It is the number 9 most common failure item on Volkswagens.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Volkswagen tests failing on it
- 1.35%
- 82,397 of 6,099,386 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.74%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 1.82×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #9 for Volkswagen
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Volkswagens fail 6% less often than comparable cars. On this item the gap is 1.95× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Volkswagen pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the suspension part of the test. Nationally it appears on 0.69% of MOT tests.
Volkswagen models and “Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt”
The Volkswagen Fox is most affected (2.93× comparable cars); the Volkswagen Lupo least (0.00×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Fox | 54,486 | 4.61% | 2.93× |
| Volkswagen Touran | 151,976 | 2.87% | 2.66× |
| Volkswagen Polo | 1,255,982 | 1.74% | 2.40× |
| Volkswagen Eos | 25,996 | 3.72% | 2.33× |
| Volkswagen Scirocco | 96,318 | 1.99% | 2.31× |
| Volkswagen Sharan | 74,314 | 1.20% | 2.15× |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 28,746 | 2.73% | 2.12× |
| Volkswagen Golf | 1,817,206 | 1.62% | 2.03× |
| Volkswagen Caddy | 296,188 | 1.44% | 1.87× |
| Volkswagen Passat | 396,126 | 1.42% | 1.56× |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 460,802 | 0.50% | 1.30× |
| Volkswagen Transporter | 662,911 | 0.95% | 1.30× |
| Volkswagen CC | 28,379 | 0.80% | 1.17× |
| Volkswagen Up | 247,835 | 0.26% | 0.84× |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 91,710 | 0.33% | 0.30× |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 130,619 | 0.01% | 0.27× |
| Volkswagen Crafter | 13,028 | 0.03% | 0.04× |
| Volkswagen Bora | 12,065 | 0.03% | 0.03× |
| Volkswagen Touareg | 75,286 | 0.00% | 0.00× |
| Volkswagen Amarok | 42,466 | 0.00% | 0.00× |
| Volkswagen Lupo | 12,875 | 0.00% | 0.00× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 13-15 years old: 3.86% of Volkswagen tests against 1.68% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Volkswagen tests | Volkswagen | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 775,046 | 0.03% | 0.03% |
| 5-6 | 859,349 | 0.08% | 0.09% |
| 7-8 | 885,889 | 0.27% | 0.27% |
| 9-10 | 808,330 | 0.81% | 0.65% |
| 11-12 | 673,250 | 2.71% | 1.22% |
| 13-15 | 805,913 | 3.86% | 1.68% |
| 16+ | 1,030,974 | 2.25% | 1.43% |
Other Volkswagen MOT faults that stand out
- Position lamp: not working · 0.61× comparable cars
- Stop lamp: not working · 0.58× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Volkswagen tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Volkswagen failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.