Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
Volkswagen
1,485 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where UP Black Editions pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 13.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
91.2%
Pass-after-fix
1.6%
Fail
7.0%
Avg miles
16,394
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 1,485 tests
Pass rate is broadly flat across the cohorts — new and old UP Black Edition examples track each other at the test bay.
Pass
90.7%
Fail
7.2%
PRS
1.8%
Avg mileage at test
19,763 mi
Pass
91.5%
Fail
6.9%
PRS
1.5%
Avg mileage at test
14,616 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,485 MOT tests, the Up Black Edition returns 91.2% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A defective wiper blade and tyre has a lump, bulge round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 16,394, 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.
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A tyre seriously damaged
45 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
13 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
A tyre has a lump, bulge or tear caused by separation or partial failure of its structure. This includes any lifting of the tread rubber
10 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
6 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
5 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Audible warning inoperative
3 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
2 occurrences · 0.1% of tests
Windscreen or window in an unacceptable condition e.g. due to excessive scratching
2 occurrences · 0.1% 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.
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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 UP Black Edition makes little measurable difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
91.5%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 91.5% — a 0.8-point improvement. Tests in this band average 14,616 miles — roughly 5K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, blade defective — 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
90.7%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 90.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 91.5% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, blade defective, and not working. Average mileage on test for this band is 19,763 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (91.5% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (90.7% pass). That's a 0.8-point spread across 514 older tests and 971 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.
Where it falls short
Owner reports (26 entries) flag recurring problems with gearbox/clutch, electrical faults, rust/corrosion.
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 UP Black Edition 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.