2012 Volkswagen Tiguan — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan passed 79.4% of its 57,122 recorded MOT tests. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail 22.3% of the time, so this is 1.7pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 12.5% of tests against 5.8% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 4,089 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 24.5% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 18.0% fail against 20.7% for diesel, a 2.7-point gap across 57,112 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 30.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.5% | 7,153 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.8% | 3,311 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.6% | 3,192 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.6% | 2,040 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.1% | 1,225 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.8% | 1,016 |
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 | 4,089 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 3,554 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 2,361 |
| 4 | Side repeaters | 1,074 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 970 |
| 6 | Wipers | 967 |
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 | 30.4% | 17,340 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.2% | 15,535 |
| 3 | Brakes | 21.7% | 12,405 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.4% | 4,782 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 2,690 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.1% | 2,326 |
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 | 463 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 6,307 | 14.8% |
| 60-90k | 18,568 | 18.9% |
| 90-120k | 18,776 | 22.2% |
| 120-150k | 8,998 | 23.8% |
| 150k+ | 4,003 | 24.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 55,103 | 20.7% |
| Petrol | 2,009 | 18.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,442 | 18.3% |
| 2022 | 11,440 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 11,534 | 20.9% |
| 2024 | 11,359 | 21.4% |
| 2025 | 11,347 | 23.6% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Tiguan
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 12.5% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (12.5% 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 (5.8% 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 (5.6% 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 2012 Volkswagen Tiguans pass their MOT?
79.4% of the 57,122 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Volkswagen Tiguan?
Suspension, recorded in 12.5% of tests, followed by tyres (5.8%).
Does the 2012 Tiguan get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.2% in the 0-30k band to 24.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 57,122 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.