2013 Volkswagen Sharan — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2013 Volkswagen Sharan passed 80.3% of its 13,647 recorded MOT tests. Against MPVs of a similar age (20.9% fail rate), the 2013 Sharan comes out 1.2pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (9.3%) and tyres (7.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, malfunction indicator lamp and tread depth — pins and bushes alone was recorded 1,050 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 19.2% once past 150k.
The petrol cars hold up better: 13.5% fail against 20.2% for diesel, a 6.7-point gap across 13,643 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 30.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.3% | 1,268 |
| 2 | Tyres | 7.6% | 1,033 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 7.4% | 1,009 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 619 |
| 5 | Brakes | 3.0% | 411 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.5% | 341 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 1,050 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 535 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 510 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 347 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 274 |
| 6 | Coil spring | 249 |
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 | 30.0% | 4,093 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.9% | 3,947 |
| 3 | Brakes | 19.4% | 2,648 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.1% | 1,382 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.1% | 700 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 675 |
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 | 150 | 12.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,668 | 15.0% |
| 60-90k | 3,554 | 19.2% |
| 90-120k | 3,310 | 21.4% |
| 120-150k | 2,126 | 23.0% |
| 150k+ | 2,837 | 19.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 12,703 | 20.2% |
| Petrol | 940 | 13.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,729 | 18.3% |
| 2022 | 2,718 | 18.6% |
| 2023 | 2,790 | 20.0% |
| 2024 | 2,751 | 20.4% |
| 2025 | 2,659 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Sharan
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 9.3% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (9.3% 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 (7.6% 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 (7.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 2013 Volkswagen Sharans pass their MOT?
80.3% of the 13,647 2013 Volkswagen Sharan MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Volkswagen Sharan?
Suspension, recorded in 9.3% of tests, followed by tyres (7.6%).
Does the 2013 Sharan get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 12.0% in the 0-30k band to 19.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 13,647 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.