2017 Volkswagen Crafter — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Volkswagen Crafter passed 84.3% of its 1,671 recorded MOT tests. Against vans of a similar age (18.4% fail rate), the 2017 Crafter comes out 2.7pp better. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (8.0%) and lighting & signalling (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, rbt (sp) and malfunction indicator lamp — service brake performance alone was recorded 54 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2017 Crafter fails 10.8% of the time in the 0-30k band and 14.6% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.8 points.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 20.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 8.0% | 133 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 96 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 62 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 56 |
| 5 | Tyres | 2.6% | 44 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.6% | 26 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 54 |
| 2 | Rbt (sp) | 53 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 51 |
| 4 | Wipers | 49 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 43 |
| 6 | Brake discs | 26 |
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 | 20.6% | 344 |
| 2 | Tyres | 11.1% | 186 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.6% | 127 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.2% | 120 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.0% | 117 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.0% | 101 |
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 | 194 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 407 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 430 | 17.7% |
| 90-120k | 315 | 17.5% |
| 120-150k | 202 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 123 | 14.6% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 214 | 12.2% |
| 2022 | 296 | 16.2% |
| 2023 | 299 | 17.7% |
| 2024 | 431 | 16.9% |
| 2025 | 431 | 14.4% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Crafter
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (8.0% 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 (5.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (3.7% 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
How many 2017 Volkswagen Crafters pass their MOT?
84.3% of the 1,671 2017 Volkswagen Crafter MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Volkswagen Crafter?
Brakes, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.8%).
Does the 2017 Crafter get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.8% in the 0-30k band to 14.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,671 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.