How reliable is the Volkswagen LT compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen LT, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 55.1% across 2,480 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen LT?

The item recorded most often is "Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement", which appears in 21.1% of failed Volkswagen LT tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen LT?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 32.2% of all Volkswagen LT tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen LT usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 147,716 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Volkswagen LT models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen LT cars tested, 96% are diesel, 3% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen LT MOT pass rate & common failures

From 2,480 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen LT, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 2,480 MOT tests, 55.1% of Volkswagen LT tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen LT fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, which appears in 21.1% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 147,716 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

55.1%unadjusted, not comparable2,480 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the LT. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 2,480 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen LT tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement21.1%
195 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
2.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired15.0%
138 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
3.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED13.8%
127 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
4.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen12.8%
118 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.6%
116 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.Service brake efficiency below minimum requirement12.6%
116 occurrencesBraking efficiency below requirement explained
7.A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED10.3%
95 occurrencesHeadlamp not working explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.2%
94 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
9.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake10.0%
92 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
10.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced8.7%
80 occurrencesCorrosion in a structural area explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen LT tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded32.2%
798 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users26.0%
645 tests
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured19.2%
475 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.7%
339 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged12.4%
308 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.6%
288 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A wheel bearing with excessive play10.8%
269 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
8.Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced10.2%
253 testsCorrosion in a structural area explained

What gets tested

The LT fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 147,716
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel96.4%
Petrol3.3%

Check a specific Volkswagen LT

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Tiguan — 77.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volkswagen LT compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen LT, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 55.1% across 2,480 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen LT?: The item recorded most often is "Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement", which appears in 21.1% of failed Volkswagen LT tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen LT?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 32.2% of all Volkswagen LT tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen LT usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 147,716 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Volkswagen LT models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen LT cars tested, 96% are diesel, 3% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.