2019 Volkswagen Sharan — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Volkswagen Sharan passed 92.4% of its 31,683 recorded MOT tests. Against MPVs of a similar age (11.4% fail rate), the 2019 Sharan comes out 3.8pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (4.4%) and tyres (3.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are washers, tread depth and pins and bushes — washers alone was recorded 643 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2019 Sharan fails 7.9% of the time in the 0-30k band and 6.0% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.9 points.
The diesel cars hold up better: 6.7% fail against 11.0% for petrol, a 4.2-point gap across 31,683 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 17.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 3.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 8.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 1,392 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.9% | 1,245 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.8% | 886 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.6% | 503 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.4% | 442 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 326 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washers | 643 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 633 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 597 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 493 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 403 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 327 |
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 | 17.2% | 5,447 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.8% | 2,792 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 2,209 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.4% | 2,019 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 698 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 349 |
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 | 5,824 | 7.9% |
| 30-60k | 8,661 | 10.2% |
| 60-90k | 5,785 | 7.3% |
| 90-120k | 4,327 | 5.5% |
| 120-150k | 3,438 | 5.2% |
| 150k+ | 3,647 | 6.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 25,394 | 6.7% |
| Petrol | 6,289 | 11.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,339 | 3.4% |
| 2022 | 7,054 | 7.4% |
| 2023 | 7,055 | 7.5% |
| 2024 | 7,133 | 8.6% |
| 2025 | 7,102 | 8.6% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Sharan
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 4.4% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (4.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.9% 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.
- Visibility (2.8% 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 2019 Volkswagen Sharans pass their MOT?
92.4% of the 31,683 2019 Volkswagen Sharan MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 7.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Volkswagen Sharan?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 4.4% of tests, followed by tyres (3.9%).
Does the 2019 Sharan get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.9% in the 0-30k band to 6.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 31,683 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.