Volkswagen Eos MOT pass rate & common failures
86,456 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Eos (2006–2021) give it a 76.2% pass rate. That is 3.9 percentage points worse than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 19.9%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and brakes.
Best and worst Eos years
Ranked across Eos 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
The strongest year on this record is 2015 (87.6% pass rate); the weakest is 2006 (73.0%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 11.8% of tests against 7.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and linkage ball joint dust cover — coil spring alone was recorded 5,229 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 28.1% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 23.8% of the time against 23.8% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 31.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Eos model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 8,112 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 21,651 | 73.8% | 26.3% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 17,922 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 8,755 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 13,139 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 8,612 | 79.0% | 21.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 2,283 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 2,696 | 83.4% | 16.7% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 1,956 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 1,253 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 53 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.8% | 10,159 |
| 2 | Tyres | 7.3% | 6,293 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.0% | 6,079 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 5,831 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.4% | 3,821 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.0% | 3,494 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 2,336 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.2% | 1,062 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 5,229 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 3,065 |
| 3 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 2,870 |
| 4 | Joints | 2,869 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,545 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 2,545 |
| 7 | Service brake performance | 2,025 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 1,941 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 31.1% | 26,863 |
| 2 | Tyres | 30.0% | 25,912 |
| 3 | Brakes | 24.8% | 21,450 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 8.2% | 7,111 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.7% | 6,657 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.0% | 6,022 |
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 | 1,967 | 11.0% |
| 30-60k | 13,678 | 17.0% |
| 60-90k | 27,880 | 22.9% |
| 90-120k | 25,070 | 26.4% |
| 120-150k | 12,469 | 27.8% |
| 150k+ | 5,248 | 28.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 47,658 | 23.8% |
| Petrol | 38,798 | 23.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20,246 | 23.2% |
| 2022 | 19,034 | 22.9% |
| 2023 | 17,612 | 23.9% |
| 2024 | 15,624 | 24.4% |
| 2025 | 13,940 | 24.9% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Eos
- Suspension (11.8% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (7.3% 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.
- Brakes (7.0% 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.
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 Eos?
76.2% of the 86,456 Volkswagen Eos MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.8% fail rate, across model years 2006–2021.
What does the Volkswagen Eos most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 11.8% of tests, then tyres (7.3%).
Which Eos years are best and worst for MOT results?
2015 has the best pass rate at 87.6% and 2006 the weakest at 73.0%, from 1,253 and 8,112 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Eos MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.1% for 150k+, a 17.1-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Eos more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 23.8% of the time against 23.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 86,456 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.