MOT performance
Volkswagen Transporter petrol: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 23,971 MOT tests on petrol Volkswagen Transporters in 2023–2024 (on average 21.9 years old at test, median 91,472 miles), 63.6% passed first time, against 68.3% of 638,924 diesel Volkswagen Transporter tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, petrol Volkswagen Transporters failed 23% more often than comparable cars — 1.23× against 0.99× for the Volkswagen Transporter as a whole.
23,971 MOT tests on 13,069 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
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| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 63.6% | ±0.6 pts (95%), n = 23,971 |
| All Volkswagen Transporters | 68.1% | n = 662,911 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.23× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Volkswagen Transporter overall 0.99× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 6.8% | n = 23,971 |
| Average age at test | 21.9 years | n = 23,971 |
| Registration years covered | 1972–2021 | DVSA first-use date |
Petrol against the other Volkswagen Transporter fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The petrol cars were tested 10.3 years older on average than the diesel ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 638,924 | 11.6 yrs | 68.3% | -2% | 7.1% |
| Petrol | 23,971 | 21.9 yrs | 63.6% | +23% | 6.8% |
Where petrol Volkswagen Transporters differ
- Steering: petrol Volkswagen Transporters failed 91% more often than the Volkswagen Transporter overall, relative to comparable cars (1.80× vs 0.94×).
- Body, chassis and structure: petrol Volkswagen Transporters failed 56% more often than the Volkswagen Transporter overall, relative to comparable cars (1.44× vs 0.93×).
- Driver's view of the road: petrol Volkswagen Transporters failed 50% more often than the Volkswagen Transporter overall, relative to comparable cars (1.51× vs 1.01×).
- Lights, reflectors and electrical: petrol Volkswagen Transporters failed 42% more often than the Volkswagen Transporter overall, relative to comparable cars (1.30× vs 0.91×).
| Area | Petrol (vs similar) | All Volkswagen Transporters (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 17.0% (+30%) | 12.6% (-9%) |
| Brakes | 11.6% (+26%) | 8.7% (-7%) |
| Suspension | 11.3% (+25%) | 11.7% (+4%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 9.4% (+44%) | 5.3% (-7%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 8.6% (+51%) | 5.4% (+1%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.5% (+27%) | 3.9% (+11%) |
| Steering | 4.7% (+80%) | 2.9% (-6%) |
| Tyres | 3.2% (-7%) | 5.5% (-16%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 2.1% (-4%) | 1.7% (-5%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.7% (+18%) | 0.5% (Same) |
Most common petrol Volkswagen Transporter failure items
3 of these 5 items are not among the Volkswagen Transporter's ten most common failures overall.
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength | Suspension | 4.70% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Driver's view of the road | 3.89% |
| Horn: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.09% |
| Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive | Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.05% |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 2.90% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | petrol pass rate (tests) | diesel pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 85.1% (1,303) | 82.4% (71,843) |
| 5-6 | 84.0% (1,406) | 78.5% (82,016) |
| 7-8 | — | 75.3% (79,806) |
| 9-10 | — | 71.0% (65,894) |
| 11-12 | 66.8% (229) | 68.1% (54,253) |
| 13-15 | 67.5% (385) | 60.9% (68,904) |
| 16+ | 60.5% (20,339) | 55.5% (189,987) |
Volkswagen Transporter by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1986 Volkswagen Transporter · 61.9%
- 1988 Volkswagen Transporter · 64.8%
- 1989 Volkswagen Transporter · 64.1%
- 1990 Volkswagen Transporter · 63.7%
- 1992 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.9%
- 1993 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.0%
- 1994 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.4%
- 1995 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.1%
- 1996 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.9%
- 1997 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.5%
- 1998 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.8%
- 1999 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.3%
- 2000 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.5%
- 2001 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.5%
- 2002 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.0%
- 2003 Volkswagen Transporter · 54.4%
- 2004 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.2%
- 2005 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.2%
- 2006 Volkswagen Transporter · 55.6%
- 2007 Volkswagen Transporter · 57.9%
- 2008 Volkswagen Transporter · 57.6%
- 2009 Volkswagen Transporter · 60.4%
- 2010 Volkswagen Transporter · 64.5%
- 2011 Volkswagen Transporter · 67.2%
- 2012 Volkswagen Transporter · 69.4%
- 2013 Volkswagen Transporter · 71.5%
- 2014 Volkswagen Transporter · 71.3%
- 2015 Volkswagen Transporter · 73.5%
- 2016 Volkswagen Transporter · 76.6%
- 2017 Volkswagen Transporter · 77.8%
- 2018 Volkswagen Transporter · 79.8%
- 2019 Volkswagen Transporter · 81.9%
- 2020 Volkswagen Transporter · 83.0%
- 2021 Volkswagen Transporter · 82.3%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific petrol Volkswagen Transporter
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.