2018 Volkswagen Crafter — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Volkswagen Crafter passed 86.6% of its 2,173 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.3 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 16.8%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 7.8% of all tests — 3.8 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, wipers and malfunction indicator lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 120 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2018 Crafter fails 10.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 14.3% at 150k+, a spread of only 4.0 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 13.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.8% | 169 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.0% | 87 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 3.9% | 85 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 79 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 50 |
| 6 | Tyres | 2.1% | 46 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 120 |
| 2 | Wipers | 73 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 69 |
| 4 | Joints | 48 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 44 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 30 |
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 | 13.4% | 291 |
| 2 | Tyres | 10.5% | 229 |
| 3 | Visibility | 6.9% | 150 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.8% | 148 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.6% | 100 |
| 6 | Other defects | 4.0% | 88 |
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 | 320 | 10.3% |
| 30-60k | 543 | 11.1% |
| 60-90k | 470 | 14.3% |
| 90-120k | 415 | 15.4% |
| 120-150k | 201 | 17.9% |
| 150k+ | 224 | 14.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 288 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 358 | 10.9% |
| 2023 | 376 | 10.9% |
| 2024 | 565 | 13.6% |
| 2025 | 586 | 16.9% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Crafter
On a 2018 Crafter, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 7.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (7.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (4.0% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (3.9% 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 2018 Volkswagen Crafters pass their MOT?
86.6% of the 2,173 2018 Volkswagen Crafter MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Volkswagen Crafter?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.8% of tests, followed by brakes (4.0%).
Does the 2018 Crafter get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.3% in the 0-30k band to 14.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,173 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.