2011 Volkswagen Tiguan — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan passed 77.5% of its 44,073 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.4 percentage points better than mid-size SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 24.0%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 14.2% of all tests — 6.6 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 3,123 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.9% versus 13.4%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.9pp more often than petrol ones (22.7% vs 19.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 34.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 20.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.2% | 6,279 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 7.6% | 3,352 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.7% | 2,526 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.6% | 1,592 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 1,017 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 916 |
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 | 3,123 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 3,123 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 2,095 |
| 4 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 1,264 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 1,222 |
| 6 | Side repeaters | 1,137 |
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 | 34.1% | 15,036 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.1% | 12,387 |
| 3 | Brakes | 21.8% | 9,594 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.6% | 3,794 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.9% | 3,060 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.0% | 2,639 |
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 | 254 | 13.4% |
| 30-60k | 2,864 | 16.1% |
| 60-90k | 11,669 | 21.0% |
| 90-120k | 15,821 | 23.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,945 | 24.4% |
| 150k+ | 4,514 | 24.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 41,735 | 22.7% |
| Petrol | 2,338 | 19.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,940 | 20.5% |
| 2022 | 9,022 | 21.9% |
| 2023 | 8,979 | 23.1% |
| 2024 | 8,729 | 23.4% |
| 2025 | 8,403 | 23.8% |
What to check before buying a 2011 Tiguan
On a 2011 Tiguan, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 14.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (14.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
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 2011 Volkswagen Tiguans pass their MOT?
77.5% of the 44,073 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Suspension, recorded in 14.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (7.6%).
Does the 2011 Tiguan get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.4% in the 0-30k band to 24.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 44,073 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.