Known faults, from the test record
Volkswagen UP common problems
What fails on the Volkswagen UP at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 127,183 DVSA test records.
Data updated
Quick answer
The Volkswagen UP's most common MOT problems are tyres, catalytic converter and emissions, bulbs and lamps, recorded in 31.7%, 20.9% and 17.8% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2021 cars pass most often (90.6%) and 2012 cars least (73.9%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.
A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Volkswagen UP that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 127,183 cars.
By component
What wears out on a UP
Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Volkswagen UP tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.
1.Tyres
31.7% of failed testsTread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.
- “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained11.8%
- “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained6.8%
- “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained6.2%
- “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained3.7%
Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last
2.Catalytic converter and emissions
20.9% of failed testsCatalysts degrade with age and misfires; a failed emissions reading is usually the catalyst, a lambda sensor or a tired engine.
3.Bulbs and lamps
17.8% of failed testsFilament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.
- “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained5.0%
- “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained4.3%
- “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained3.6%
- “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” — explained3.5%
Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last
4.Suspension bushes
16.6% of failed testsRubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.
- “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained12.0%
- “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.2%
- “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained1.3%
Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last
5.Brake callipers
14.6% of failed testsPistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.
- “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained8.8%
- “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 axle.” — explained4.0%
- “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained1.9%
6.Wiper blades and washers
12.8% of failed testsRubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.
- “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained7.8%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.6%
- “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.4%
Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last
7.Parking brake
7.7% of failed testsCables stretch and seize, rear shoes and adjusters wear; efficiency is measured on the roller tester against the vehicle's weight.
8.Coil springs
7.2% of failed testsSprings fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.
- “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained7.2%
Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last
By registration year
UP problems by year
MOT pass rate for Volkswagen UP cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2017, up 5.0 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.
Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.
Before it fails
What testers warn UP owners about
Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Volkswagen UP tests carrying an advisory for each.
- Tyres43.2% of tests
- Brake discs12.0% of tests
- Suspension bushes9.2% of tests
- Brake callipers4.0% of tests
- Brake pads and shoes3.5% of tests
Go deeper
The rest of the UP file
Common questions
- What are the most common problems with a Volkswagen UP?
- Going by what fails the MOT, tyres (recorded in 31.7% of failed tests), catalytic converter and emissions (recorded in 20.9% of failed tests), and bulbs and lamps (recorded in 17.8% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 127,183 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
- Which Volkswagen UP year is the most reliable?
- By MOT pass rate, Volkswagen UP cars registered in 2021 do best at 90.6% and 2012 cars do worst at 73.9%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2017, up 5.0 points on 2016.
- Is the Volkswagen UP reliable?
- Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Volkswagen UP passes 76.8% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
- What should I check when buying a used Volkswagen UP?
- Start with what fails most: tyres, bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.
Analysis built from DVSA data of