2020 Volkswagen Amarok — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Volkswagen Amarok passed 89.5% of its 3,683 recorded MOT tests. Pick-up trucks of a similar age fail 12.6% of the time, so this is 2.0pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (4.7%) and lighting & signalling (3.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, headlamp aim and malfunction indicator lamp — brake pads alone was recorded 98 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.8% in the 0-30k band and 15.1% in the 120-150k band, a 7.3-point spread.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 15.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 4.7% | 173 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 128 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.7% | 98 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 2.0% | 73 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.5% | 55 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.1% | 39 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 98 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 82 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 68 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 44 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 43 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 39 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 15.9% | 585 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.8% | 436 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.9% | 180 |
| 4 | Other defects | 4.2% | 154 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 136 |
| 6 | Suspension | 3.6% | 134 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 627 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 1,729 | 10.0% |
| 60-90k | 869 | 11.3% |
| 90-120k | 323 | 14.9% |
| 120-150k | 106 | 15.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,300 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 1,236 | 9.9% |
| 2025 | 1,127 | 11.5% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Amarok
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 4.7% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (4.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Lighting & signalling (3.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (2.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2020 Volkswagen Amaroks pass their MOT?
89.5% of the 3,683 2020 Volkswagen Amarok MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Volkswagen Amarok?
Brakes, recorded in 4.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.5%).
Does the 2020 Amarok get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.8% in the 0-30k band to 15.1% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,683 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.