Volkswagen Touareg MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 21 model years and 217,345 tests, the Volkswagen Touareg passes its MOT 83.1% of the time. Large SUVs of a similar age fail at 16.4%, so the Touareg sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Touareg years
Ranked across Touareg years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2022 cars pass 93.2% of the time while 2005 cars manage 75.5%, a 17.7-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.1%) and suspension (6.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and headlamp aim — coil spring alone was recorded 13,058 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.1% in the 0-30k band and 23.7% in the 150k+ band, a 16.5-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 15.8% of the time against 17.0% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Touareg model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1,355 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 4,958 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 8,852 | 75.5% | 24.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 12,033 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 13,802 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 9,882 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 7,403 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 4,756 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 10,536 | 81.8% | 18.2% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 11,329 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 13,864 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 17,938 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 24,629 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 22,809 | 84.3% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 19,214 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 8,654 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 13,229 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 6,446 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 4,413 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 1,130 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 113 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.1% | 17,558 |
| 2 | Suspension | 6.4% | 13,955 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.5% | 9,828 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.0% | 8,749 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 4,692 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 4,485 |
| 7 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.5% | 3,201 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.0% | 2,215 |
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 | 13,058 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 5,997 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,449 |
| 4 | Rear fog lamp | 5,380 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 3,858 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 3,167 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 3,136 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 3,076 |
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 | 21.3% | 46,352 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.2% | 39,563 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.3% | 24,548 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 8.1% | 17,678 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.8% | 17,071 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.5% | 11,895 |
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 | 13,657 | 7.1% |
| 30-60k | 49,904 | 12.4% |
| 60-90k | 53,111 | 15.8% |
| 90-120k | 44,636 | 19.3% |
| 120-150k | 31,964 | 21.6% |
| 150k+ | 23,930 | 23.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 211,108 | 17.0% |
| Petrol | 5,930 | 15.8% |
| Hybrid | 257 | 10.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 41,884 | 17.1% |
| 2022 | 43,683 | 16.5% |
| 2023 | 44,278 | 17.2% |
| 2024 | 44,492 | 17.3% |
| 2025 | 43,008 | 16.6% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Touareg
- Lighting & signalling (8.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.4% 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 (4.5% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Touareg?
83.1% of the 217,345 Volkswagen Touareg MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.9% fail rate, across model years 2003–2023.
What does the Volkswagen Touareg most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.1% of tests, then suspension (6.4%).
Which Touareg years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 93.2% and 2005 the weakest at 75.5%, from 1,130 and 8,852 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Touareg MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.7% for 150k+, a 16.5-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Touareg more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 15.8% of the time against 17.0% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 217,345 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.