Volkswagen UP MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Volkswagen UP took 121,482 MOT tests in Britain and passed 82% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 121,482
- First-time pass rate
- 82%
- All cars
- 71%
What the UP fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Lights and electrics5.9% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes4.2% (all cars 6.8%)
- Visibility4.2% (all cars 4.8%)
- Tyres3.9% (all cars 6.4%)
- Suspension2.1% (all cars 9.0%)
- Body and structure1.8% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions1.4% (all cars 3.1%)
- Seat belts and airbags0.4% (all cars 1.0%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 2.4%
- Service brake performance: excessively binding 1.6%
- Headlamp aim: too low 1.4%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.4%
- Position lamp: not working 1.2%
- Fuel cap/sealing device: ineffective 1.1%
- Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 0.9%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 0.9%
Most common advisories
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 13.4%
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 12.0%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 5.3%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 3.3%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 3.1%
- Service brake performance: binding but not excessively 2.8%
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively 2.2%
- Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s) 1.4%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 13,841 | 77% |
| 2013 | 19,742 | 78% |
| 2014 | 20,905 | 80% |
| 2015 | 16,250 | 80% |
| 2016 | 12,831 | 80% |
| 2017 | 13,239 | 84% |
| 2018 | 12,920 | 87% |
| 2019 | 8,303 | 91% |
| 2020 | 3,337 | 92% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 14,832 miles |
| 4 years | 20,075 miles |
| 5 years | 25,896 miles |
| 6 years | 32,344 miles |
| 7 years | 36,983 miles |
| 8 years | 43,114 miles |
| 9 years | 49,587 miles |
| 10 years | 56,276 miles |
| 11 years | 63,059 miles |
Check a particular UP
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Volkswagen models
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volkswagen Caddy
- Volkswagen Touran
- Volkswagen T ROC
- Volkswagen Scirocco
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Volkswagen Touareg
- Volkswagen Sharan
- Volkswagen FOX
- Volkswagen Amarok
- Volkswagen Caravelle
- Volkswagen Jetta
- Volkswagen T Cross
- Volkswagen CC
- Volkswagen EOS
- Volkswagen California
- Volkswagen Lupo
- Volkswagen Bora
- Volkswagen E Golf
- Volkswagen Arteon
- Volkswagen Crafter
- Volkswagen LT
- Volkswagen Camper
- Volkswagen Motor Caravan
- Volkswagen Corrado
- Volkswagen Phaeton
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.