Volkswagen
7,628 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Crafter Cr35 Startline Tdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.8 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.8%
Pass-after-fix
5.1%
Fail
18.1%
Avg miles
77,293
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 7,628 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Crafter Cr35 Startline Tdi examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
75.3%
Fail
18.5%
PRS
5.1%
Avg mileage at test
87,989 mi
Pass
76.2%
Fail
17.7%
PRS
5.1%
Avg mileage at test
65,670 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,800 MOT tests, the Crafter Cr35 Startline Tdi returns 76.9% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A missing CV-joint boot and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 72,696, 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
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 →
28–38
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
450 occurrences · 5.9% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
266 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
241 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
207 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
149 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
140 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning
137 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
113 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
104 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
102 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.
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Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. Pass rates barely move across bands here, so the year you buy Volkswagen Crafter Cr35 Startline Tdi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
76.2%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 76.2% — a 0.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 65,670 miles — roughly 22K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps… — 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
75.3%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 75.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 76.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, constant velocity boot split or insecure, no…, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 87,989 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (76.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (75.3% pass). That's a 0.9-point spread across 3,975 older tests and 3,653 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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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 Crafter Cr35 Startline Tdi 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.
