2010 Volkswagen Transporter — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2010 Volkswagen Transporter passed 76.8% of its 69,039 recorded MOT tests. Against vans of a similar age (27.6% fail rate), the 2010 Transporter comes out 4.4pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (12.4%) and lighting & signalling (9.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are ball joint dust cover, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — ball joint dust cover alone was recorded 3,986 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.8% versus 10.7%.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 32.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 22.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.4% | 8,592 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.7% | 6,659 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.0% | 4,806 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.3% | 3,660 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.6% | 3,189 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 2,270 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ball joint dust cover | 3,986 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 2,799 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,534 |
| 4 | Washers | 2,406 |
| 5 | Coil spring | 2,258 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 2,098 |
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 | 32.9% | 22,684 |
| 2 | Tyres | 22.8% | 15,741 |
| 3 | Brakes | 20.4% | 14,096 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 14.6% | 10,094 |
| 5 | Other defects | 9.2% | 6,376 |
| 6 | Visibility | 8.3% | 5,694 |
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 | 523 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 3,694 | 15.0% |
| 60-90k | 9,980 | 18.9% |
| 90-120k | 15,842 | 22.8% |
| 120-150k | 15,514 | 24.8% |
| 150k+ | 23,460 | 25.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 68,658 | 23.2% |
| Petrol | 381 | 19.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,723 | 22.2% |
| 2022 | 13,659 | 21.9% |
| 2023 | 13,848 | 23.2% |
| 2024 | 13,952 | 24.1% |
| 2025 | 13,857 | 24.4% |
What to check before buying a 2010 Transporter
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 12.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (12.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (9.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 2010 Volkswagen Transporters pass their MOT?
76.8% of the 69,039 2010 Volkswagen Transporter MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 23.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2010 Volkswagen Transporter?
Suspension, recorded in 12.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.7%).
Does the 2010 Transporter get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.7% in the 0-30k band to 25.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 69,039 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.