Volkswagen
3,221 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Transporter T32 Highline Tdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 8.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
85.9%
Pass-after-fix
3.2%
Fail
9.6%
Avg miles
45,221
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 · 3,221 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old Transporter T32 Highline Tdi examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
86.3%
Fail
9.6%
PRS
2.8%
Avg mileage at test
50,731 mi
Pass
85.4%
Fail
9.6%
PRS
3.7%
Avg mileage at test
37,783 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,048 MOT tests, the Transporter T32 Highline Tdi returns 85.4% 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 39,679, 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
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
104 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
61 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
48 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
35 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
33 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Reflector defective or damaged by up to 50% of the reflecting surface
25 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
24 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements
19 occurrences · 0.6% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
16 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Wiper blade defective
13 occurrences · 0.4% 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–£255
If every one of this Transporter T32 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 →
Try the calculator
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 T32 Highline Tdi makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
86.3%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 86.3% — a 0.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a serious fluid leak — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band.
Band to be cautious about
85.4%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 85.4% pass rate against a fleet average of 86.3% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a cut in excess of the…, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 37,783 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (86.3% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (85.4% pass). That's a 0.9-point spread across 1,373 older tests and 1,848 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
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Shadow Blue Metallic 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Reflex Silver Metallic 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Black 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Mars Red 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
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 T32 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.
