Volkswagen
3,092 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where UP Gtis pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 11.1 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
88.6%
Pass-after-fix
2.7%
Fail
8.5%
Avg miles
19,453
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 · 3,092 tests
Pass rate drops 2.0 points across the cohorts — recent UP Gti examples are doing worse than the early cars at the same tested age.
Pass
89.8%
Fail
8.6%
PRS
1.4%
Avg mileage at test
22,368 mi
Pass
87.8%
Fail
8.5%
PRS
3.6%
Avg mileage at test
17,449 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 750 MOT tests, the Up Gti returns 86.9% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a seriously damaged tyre. A seriously damaged tyre and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 16,778, 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
A low-group car — among the cheapest to insure in the UK. 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 →
2–8
out of 50
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
A tyre seriously damaged
99 occurrences · 3.2% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
44 occurrences · 1.4% 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
17 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
14 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
11 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
9 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
Wiper blade defective
8 occurrences · 0.3% of tests
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
6 occurrences · 0.2% of tests
Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer
5 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.
Try the calculator
Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 1.9-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Volkswagen UP Gti makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
89.8%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 89.8% — a 1.9-point improvement. Failures here are mostly wear items: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, 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.
Band to be cautious about
87.8%
2021+ registration
On the 2021-on band, the data shows a 87.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.8% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: has a bulge, caused by separation or…, has a cut in excess of the…, and has a lump, caused by separation or…. Average mileage on test for this band is 17,449 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (89.8% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2021+ (87.8% pass). That's a 1.9-point spread across 1,831 older tests and 1,261 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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 Gti 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.
