Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 14,832 tests

Pass rate climbs 1.3 points across the cohorts — newer Arteon examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 2,912

Pass

89.1%

Fail

8.8%

PRS

1.5%

Avg mileage at test

61,858 mi

2018–2020 cohort 9,579

Pass

89.8%

Fail

8.7%

PRS

1.1%

Avg mileage at test

49,667 mi

2021+ cohort 2,341

Pass

90.4%

Fail

8.2%

PRS

0.8%

Avg mileage at test

34,001 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Arteon: a strong MOT record by UK norms

Across 6,624 MOT tests, the Arteon returns 88.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 43,154, 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.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 30–40

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. 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 →

30–40

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

A tyre seriously damaged

262 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
02

A tyre cords visible or damaged

255 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
03

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

195 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
04

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

168 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
05

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

151 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
06

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

139 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
07

A tyre seriously damaged

87 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
08

A tyre seriously damaged

58 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber

40 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
10

Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn

35 occurrences · 0.2% 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

£120–£190

If every one of this Arteon'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.3-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Volkswagen Arteon makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.

Best band to buy

90.4%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 90.4% — a 1.3-point improvement. Tests in this band average 34,001 miles — roughly 28K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

89.1%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 89.1% pass rate against a fleet average of 90.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 61,858 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (90.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (89.1% pass). That's a 1.3-point spread across 2,912 older tests and 2,341 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

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

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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Buying or keeping an Arteon?

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 Arteon 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.