Volkswagen
2,750 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Transporter T32 Startline Tdis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 0.8 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
78.3%
Pass-after-fix
5.0%
Fail
15.9%
Avg miles
72,068
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 · 2,750 tests
Pass rate drops 2.1 points across the cohorts — recent Transporter T32 Startline Tdi examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
79.4%
Fail
16.3%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
86,844 mi
Pass
77.3%
Fail
15.6%
PRS
6.4%
Avg mileage at test
57,687 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 748 MOT tests, the Transporter T32 Startline Tdi returns 81.2% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A seriously damaged tyre and a broken or weak spring round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 61,732, 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
124 occurrences · 4.5% of tests
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
86 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
69 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
66 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
47 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
37 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
34 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
32 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
32 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
31 occurrences · 1.1% 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
£88–£195
If every one of this Transporter T32 Startline 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. A 2.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Volkswagen Transporter T32 Startline Tdi makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
79.4%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 79.4% — a 2.0-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
77.3%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 77.3% pass rate against a fleet average of 79.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a serious fluid leak, and has a cut in excess of the…. Average mileage on test for this band is 57,687 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (79.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (77.3% pass). That's a 2.0-point spread across 1,393 older tests and 1,357 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
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
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.
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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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 T32 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.
