Volkswagen
13,242 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Transporter T28 Highline Tdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
86.8%
Pass-after-fix
3.2%
Fail
9.7%
Avg miles
39,942
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 · 13,242 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Transporter T28 Highline Tdi examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
86.8%
Fail
10.1%
PRS
2.9%
Avg mileage at test
46,048 mi
Pass
86.8%
Fail
9.3%
PRS
3.5%
Avg mileage at test
32,499 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 4,489 MOT tests, the Transporter T28 Highline Tdi returns 85.0% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and shock absorber damaged to the extent round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 36,945, 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 →
23–35
out of 50
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
334 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
200 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
190 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
179 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
177 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
103 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
91 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Wiper blade defective
83 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
76 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
63 occurrences · 0.5% 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
£140–£335
If every one of this Transporter T28 Highline Tdi'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
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 Transporter T28 Highline Tdi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
86.8%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 86.8% — a 0.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 32,499 miles — roughly 14K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — 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
86.8%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 86.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 86.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, fractured or broken, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 46,048 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (86.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (86.8% pass). That's a 0.1-point spread across 7,273 older tests and 5,969 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
Good to drive, flexible body styles, strong image
Where it falls short
Styling-wise, Volkswagen claims that the latest model has styling that harks back to the original VW Type 2. But from the door backwards, it’s the same shape as the Ford Transit Custom – unsurprising, as the models were co-developed. That means it's marginally bigger than rivals such as the Vauxhall Vivaro and Renault Trafic, both of which feel dated by comparison.
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 Transporter T28 Highline 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.
