2016 Volkswagen Touran — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 20,498 MOT tests, the 2016 Volkswagen Touran recorded an 88.1% pass rate. That is 3.4 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 15.3%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.8%) and lighting & signalling (5.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, stop lamp and malfunction indicator lamp — tread depth alone was recorded 598 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2016 Touran fails 8.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 9.3% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.9 points.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.3pp more often than petrol ones (12.2% vs 9.9%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 10.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.8% | 1,190 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.2% | 1,066 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 511 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.3% | 470 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.2% | 442 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.5% | 315 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 598 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 567 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 494 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 369 |
| 5 | Wipers | 347 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 337 |
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 | 26.9% | 5,508 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.4% | 4,380 |
| 3 | Other defects | 11.9% | 2,443 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.9% | 1,214 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.2% | 664 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 1.6% | 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 | 1,665 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 8,266 | 10.6% |
| 60-90k | 6,497 | 13.6% |
| 90-120k | 2,532 | 14.1% |
| 120-150k | 879 | 13.5% |
| 150k+ | 658 | 9.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 18,090 | 12.2% |
| Petrol | 2,408 | 9.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,063 | 10.6% |
| 2022 | 4,038 | 10.9% |
| 2023 | 4,090 | 12.3% |
| 2024 | 4,125 | 12.5% |
| 2025 | 4,182 | 13.1% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Touran
On a 2016 Touran, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- 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 (5.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Emissions & environmental (2.5% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 2016 Volkswagen Tourans pass their MOT?
88.1% of the 20,498 2016 Volkswagen Touran MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Volkswagen Touran?
Tyres, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.2%).
Does the 2016 Touran get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.3% in the 0-30k band to 9.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 20,498 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.