Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
Volkswagen
12,183 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Id3 Lifes pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 12.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
90.2%
Pass-after-fix
1.8%
Fail
7.5%
Avg miles
29,593
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Electric and hydrogen vehicles are exempt from all UK clean air zone charges.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 12,183 tests
Pass rate drops 2.5 points across the cohorts — recent Id3 Life examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
92.3%
Fail
6.4%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
31,408 mi
Pass
89.8%
Fail
7.7%
PRS
2.0%
Avg mileage at test
29,240 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 2,054 MOT tests, the Id3 Life returns 91.1% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is tyre tread under the limit. A tyre with the cords showing and a seriously damaged tyre round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 28,955, 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
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →
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A tyre seriously damaged
301 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
298 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
180 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
97 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Wiper blade defective
75 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
38 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
26 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
23 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
21 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
20 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 3 failures
£140–£235
If every one of this Id3 Life'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 2.5-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Volkswagen Id3 Life makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
92.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 92.3% — a 2.5-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a cut in excess of the…, tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
89.8%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 89.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 92.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has ply or cords exposed, has a cut in excess of the…, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 29,240 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (92.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (89.8% pass). That's a 2.5-point spread across 10,200 older tests and 1,983 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.
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
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades
Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.
Search Amazon UK
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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 an Id3 Life 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.