How reliable is the Volkswagen Lupo compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Lupo, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages.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 59.8% across 5,137 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 Lupo?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 16.4% of failed Volkswagen Lupo 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 Lupo?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.7% of all Volkswagen Lupo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,868 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 Lupo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen Lupo cars tested, 89% are petrol, 11% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen Lupo MOT pass rate & common failures

From 5,137 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen Lupo, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 5,137 MOT tests, 59.8% of Volkswagen Lupo tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen Lupo 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 aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 16.4% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 88,868 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

59.8%unadjusted, not comparable5,137 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Lupo. 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 5,137 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements16.4%
278 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer12.9%
218 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
3.Exhaust system leaking or insecure12.2%
207 occurrencesExhaust leaking or insecure explained
4.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc12.0%
203 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen10.3%
175 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction9.0%
153 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.6%
145 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements8.4%
142 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
9.Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits7.4%
125 occurrencesEmissions above the permitted limit explained
10.Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle7.3%
124 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements21.7%
1,114 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened20.9%
1,072 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.7%
960 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged18.0%
923 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users17.2%
883 tests
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn15.0%
771 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.6%
647 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure11.9%
612 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Lupo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 88,868
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol88.7%
Diesel11.3%

Check a specific Volkswagen Lupo

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 Lupo compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Lupo, 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 59.8% across 5,137 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 Lupo?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 16.4% of failed Volkswagen Lupo 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 Lupo?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 21.7% of all Volkswagen Lupo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen Lupo usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 88,868 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 Lupo models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen Lupo cars tested, 89% are petrol, 11% are diesel. 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.