2020 Volkswagen ID.3 — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Volkswagen ID.3 passed 92.5% of its 14,381 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 9.0% of the time, so this is 1.5pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.6%) and lighting & signalling (2.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and rear fog lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 194 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 13.6% versus 5.8%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 20.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 6.3% of tests failed in 2023 against 9.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.6% | 657 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.0% | 285 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.2% | 170 |
| 4 | Suspension | 1.0% | 148 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.5% | 76 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.3% | 43 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 194 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 180 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 119 |
| 4 | Wipers | 98 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joints | 85 |
| 6 | Washers | 77 |
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 | 20.1% | 2,888 |
| 2 | Other defects | 4.4% | 632 |
| 3 | Suspension | 3.5% | 511 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.3% | 337 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.5% | 216 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.3% | 47 |
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 | 8,068 | 5.8% |
| 30-60k | 5,583 | 9.0% |
| 60-90k | 647 | 13.6% |
| 90-120k | 66 | 13.6% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 4,431 | 6.3% |
| 2024 | 4,859 | 6.7% |
| 2025 | 5,062 | 9.3% |
What to check before buying a 2020 ID.3
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 4.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (4.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (1.2% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 ID.3s pass their MOT?
92.5% of the 14,381 2020 Volkswagen ID.3 MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Volkswagen ID.3?
Tyres, recorded in 4.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.0%).
Does the 2020 ID.3 get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.8% in the 0-30k band to 13.6% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 14,381 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.