MOT cost .
Volkswagen Amarok
MOT 2023
Wikimedia

Volkswagen

Amarok

25,085 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Amaroks pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.5 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

80.3%

Pass-after-fix

3.8%

Fail

15.3%

Avg miles

86,575

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

Amarok: above-average pass rates, with caveats

Across 25,085 MOT tests, the Amarok returns 80.3% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A number-plate lamp out and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 86,575, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

Top ten reasons for rejection.

  1. 01

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    1,096 occurrences · 4.4% of tests

  2. 02

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    697 occurrences · 2.8% of tests

  3. 03

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    466 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  4. 04

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    414 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  5. 05

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    399 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  6. 06

    A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

    395 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  7. 07

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    387 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  8. 08

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    369 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  9. 09

    Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction

    367 occurrences · 1.5% of tests

  10. 10

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    335 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures

£168–£435

If every one of this Amarok's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Brake pad measurement gauge

Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.

Search Amazon UK

Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

It’s actually pretty roomy inside. The longer wheelbase (compared to the old Amarok) means there’s more space for those in the second row of seats - there’s loads of headroom and a surprising amount of legroom, even for adults. The Amarok feels equally spacious in the front, where its wide cabin and high seating position mean it's easy to get comfortable.

Buying or keeping a Amarok?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Amarok and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.