Volkswagen Crafter MOT pass rate & common failures
The Volkswagen Crafter appears in 36,681 MOT tests spanning model years 1999–2025, and 79.2% of them passed. Vans of a similar age fail 23.6% of the time, so this is 2.8pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
Best and worst Crafter years
Ranked across Crafter years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 87.7% of 2019 examples pass against 73.8% of 2007 ones.
No single area dominates — brakes (12.3%) and lighting & signalling (10.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), rigid brake pipes and headlamp aim — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 2,372 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.3% versus 8.0%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 32.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Crafter model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 590 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 2,993 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 2,807 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 1,568 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 2,479 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 2,118 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 3,343 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Brakes |
| 2013 | 3,219 | 77.1% | 22.9% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 3,922 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 3,663 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 2,480 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 1,671 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Brakes |
| 2018 | 2,173 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 1,947 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 737 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 659 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 288 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 12.3% | 4,492 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 10.1% | 3,696 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 1,609 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.3% | 1,578 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.1% | 1,516 |
| 6 | Tyres | 2.6% | 970 |
| 7 | Steering | 2.6% | 956 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 786 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 2,372 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,484 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 1,303 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 1,294 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,177 |
| 6 | Wipers | 966 |
| 7 | Track rod end | 829 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 797 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 32.1% | 11,772 |
| 2 | Suspension | 19.2% | 7,045 |
| 3 | Tyres | 14.7% | 5,377 |
| 4 | Other defects | 14.5% | 5,324 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 10.9% | 4,016 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 10.0% | 3,651 |
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 | 2,425 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 4,302 | 13.1% |
| 60-90k | 5,960 | 18.0% |
| 90-120k | 7,019 | 21.8% |
| 120-150k | 6,892 | 24.9% |
| 150k+ | 9,951 | 25.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,223 | 21.0% |
| 2022 | 6,500 | 20.5% |
| 2023 | 6,721 | 20.7% |
| 2024 | 9,030 | 20.8% |
| 2025 | 9,207 | 20.9% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Crafter
- Brakes (12.3% 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 (10.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (4.4% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Crafter?
79.2% of the 36,681 Volkswagen Crafter MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.8% fail rate, across model years 1999–2025.
What does the Volkswagen Crafter most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 12.3% of tests, then lighting & signalling (10.1%).
Which Crafter years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 87.7% and 2007 the weakest at 73.8%, from 1,947 and 2,993 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Crafter MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.3% for 150k+, a 17.2-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 36,681 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.