Volkswagen
48,391 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Amaroks pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 4.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
81.9%
Pass-after-fix
3.9%
Fail
13.6%
Avg miles
95,188
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 48,366 tests
Pass rate climbs 7.5 points across the cohorts — newer Amarok examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
79.8%
Fail
15.3%
PRS
4.3%
Avg mileage at test
106,182 mi
Pass
87.3%
Fail
9.1%
PRS
2.8%
Avg mileage at test
65,881 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
Generations on file · 2
Volkswagen Amarok · UK market
2010–2022
2022–now
Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.
The picture
The Volkswagen Amarok is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 25,085 tests puts this car on a 80.3% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 86,575 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by failed number plate light.
The Volkswagen Amarok's cabin feels spacious, looks pretty smart and is well-equipped. We wouldn't quite say it's as plush as SUV alternatives, but it's certainly a step above pick-up trucks like the Isuzu D-Max and SsangYong Musso.
Buyers weighing up a used Amarok should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
32–42
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,635 occurrences · 3.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,032 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
658 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
648 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
568 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
560 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Parking brake inoperative on one side
549 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
524 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
459 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
441 occurrences · 0.9% 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 2 failures
£88–£275
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.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 7.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volkswagen Amarok has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
87.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 87.3% — a 7.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 65,881 miles — roughly 40K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative or indicates a malfunction — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
79.8%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 79.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 87.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and pin or bush excessively worn. Average mileage on test for this band is 106,182 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (87.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (79.8% pass). That's a 7.5-point spread across 35,185 older tests and 13,181 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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Owner reports · Honest John
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.
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 an 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.
