Volkswagen Transporter
From 492,686 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Transporters fare better: 2021 models pass at 85.2% vs 70.5% for 1984.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc and a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 22,460 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 22,460 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 11,941 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 11,937 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 11,317 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 9,599 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 9,585 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 9,496 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 8,283 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 7,601 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 7,287 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 26.2% of Transporter failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 20.5% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £119.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Transporter passes its MOT 87.3% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 81.4%, a 5.9 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 77.6%. With an average repair bill of £119 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Transporter that's past its third birthday.
Volkswagen Transporter on UK roads
The fleet is growing: 8,396 newly registered in the past year with 1,084 leaving, a net gain of 7,312. Currently at its highest numbers ever.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 344,954 | 25,043 | +3,058 | -338 | +2,720 |
| 2025 Q2 | 342,335 | 24,942 | +1,846 | -0 | +2,032 |
| 2025 Q1 | 336,541 | 28,704 | +1,066 | -0 | +1,519 |
| 2024 Q4 | 336,373 | 27,353 | +2,426 | -746 | +1,680 |
| 2024 Q3 | 339,610 | 22,436 | +4,922 | -0 | +4,966 |
| 2024 Q2 | 335,886 | 21,194 | +3,750 | -0 | +4,239 |
| 2024 Q1 | 330,098 | 22,743 | +4,550 | -1,727 | +2,823 |
| 2023 Q4 | 326,373 | 23,645 | +4,427 | -1,271 | +3,156 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transporter T28 Startline Tdi | Diesel | 20,919 | 13% |
| Transporter T28 Highline Tdi | Diesel | 13,688 | 9% |
| Transporter T28 H-Ln Tdi Bmt | Diesel | 10,974 | 7% |
| Transporter Tdi Swb | Diesel | 9,831 | 6% |
| Transporter T32 H-Line Tdi S-A | Diesel | 9,675 | 6% |
| T-Sporter T28 102 Tdi Swb | Diesel | 9,555 | 6% |
| Transporter T28 S-Line Tdi Bmt | Diesel | 8,266 | 5% |
| Transporter T30 H-Line Tdi S-A | Diesel | 8,092 | 5% |
| Transporter T30 Startline Tdi | Diesel | 7,684 | 5% |
| Transporter T28 H-Line Tdi S-A | Diesel | 6,585 | 4% |
| Transporter T30 Highline Tdi | Diesel | 6,523 | 4% |
| Tr-Porter T28 102 Tdi Swb | Diesel | 6,514 | 4% |
| Transporter T32 H-Ln Tdibmt Sa | Diesel | 6,206 | 4% |
| Transporter T32 H-Ln Tdi Bmt | Diesel | 5,586 | 4% |
| Transporter T32 Startline Tdi | Diesel | 5,567 | 3% |
| Tr-Porter T28 84 Tdi Swb | Diesel | 5,370 | 3% |
| Transporter T30 St-Ln Tdi Bmt | Diesel | 4,955 | 3% |
| Transporter T30 H-Ln Tdi Bmt | Diesel | 4,950 | 3% |
| Tr-Sporter T28 84 Tdi Swb | Diesel | 4,503 | 3% |
| Transporter | Petrol | 3,931 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view |
| 2020 | 87.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| 2019 | 85% | engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2018 | 83.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
37 earlier years
| 2017 | 82.3% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction |
| 2016 | 81.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2015 | 79% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, warning device shows system malfunction |
| 2014 | 76.9% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 77.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2012 | 76.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2011 | 75.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2010 | 73.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2009 | 70.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2008 | 69.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2007 | 69.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2006 | 68.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2005 | 68.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2004 | 68.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
| 2003 | 66.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2002 | 65.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2001 | 66.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2000 | 67% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1999 | 66% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1998 | 66.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1997 | 65.4% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1996 | 64.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1995 | 64.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1994 | 65.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1993 | 65.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1992 | 68% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1991 | 70.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 1990 | 71.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1989 | 70.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1988 | 71% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1987 | 67.8% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1986 | 71.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1985 | 68.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1984 | 70.5% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1983 | 64.2% | emissions levels exceed default limits, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1982 | 66.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1981 | 74.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
Typical mileage
Half of all Transporters tested had between 62,919 and 121,157 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 83,199 median miles, the Transporter has 0.031 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Volkswagen models
| Volkswagen Golf | 79.1% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 73.8% |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 84.6% |
| Volkswagen Passat | 76.9% |
| Volkswagen Caddy | 76.4% |
Common questions
What is the Volkswagen Transporter MOT pass rate?
The Volkswagen Transporter has a 73.8% MOT pass rate based on 492,686 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Transporter?
The most common MOT failure on the Volkswagen Transporter is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 22,460 failures. Other common issues include a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc.
How many Volkswagen Transporters are on UK roads?
There are 344,954 Volkswagen Transporters currently licensed on UK roads, with 25,043 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Volkswagen Transporter at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Volkswagen Transporter is 83,199 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 62,919 and 121,157 miles.
Buying a used Transporter?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 73.8% pass rate and an average repair bill of £119 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 26.2% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.