MOT cost .
Volkswagen UP
MOT 2024

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Volkswagen

UP

194,348 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where UPs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 4.9 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.

Pass

82.4%

Pass-after-fix

4.4%

Fail

12.8%

Avg miles

49,532

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Trim variants

GTI 88.6% 3,092 Black Edition 91.2% 1,485

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 194,348 tests

Pass rate climbs 12.1 points across the cohorts — newer UP examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 165,012

Pass

81.2%

Fail

13.8%

PRS

4.7%

Avg mileage at test

53,376 mi

2018–2020 cohort 27,738

Pass

89.3%

Fail

7.7%

PRS

2.7%

Avg mileage at test

28,205 mi

2021+ cohort 1,598

Pass

93.2%

Fail

4.7%

PRS

1.9%

Avg mileage at test

22,040 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Volkswagen UP: solid MOT record across 135,851 tests

The Volkswagen Up is a city car which was produced by the Volkswagen Group from 2011 to 2023. It is part of the New Small Family (NSF) series of models, alongside the SEAT Mii and Škoda Citigo which are rebadged versions of the Up, with slightly different front and rear fascias.

MOT data from 135,851 tests puts this car on a 83.3% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 44,242 miles. The most common fail item is inoperative wiper blade, followed by tyre tread below the legal limit.

Honest John owner records point to premature clutch wear as the recurring problems to check before buying used.

For used buyers, the UP's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 2–8

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

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake

    2,736 occurrences · 1.4% of tests

  2. 02

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    2,523 occurrences · 1.3% of tests

  3. 03

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    2,402 occurrences · 1.2% of tests

  4. 04

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    2,166 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  5. 05

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    2,090 occurrences · 1.1% of tests

  6. 06

    Wiper blade defective

    1,630 occurrences · 0.8% of tests

  7. 07

    A tyre seriously damaged

    1,342 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  8. 08

    Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

    1,282 occurrences · 0.7% of tests

  9. 09

    A tyre seriously damaged

    1,239 occurrences · 0.6% of tests

  10. 10

    Fuel system leaking, or missing or ineffective filler cap

    1,157 occurrences · 0.6% 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 3 failures

£160–£380

If every one of this UP'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

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 12.1-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volkswagen UP has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

93.2%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 93.2% — a 12.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 22,040 miles — roughly 31K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: blade defective, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated — 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

81.2%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 81.2% pass rate against a fleet average of 93.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: excessively binding, damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm. Average mileage on test for this band is 53,376 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (93.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (81.2% pass). That's a 12.1-point spread across 165,012 older tests and 1,598 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

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

Bosch Aerotwin wiper blades

Cheap wipers fail the test on smear streaks. Bosch Aerotwins last a winter and clear a screen properly.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

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Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

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.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

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.

Buying or keeping an UP?

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 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.