2012 Volkswagen Up — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Volkswagen Up passed 85.2% of its 80,305 recorded MOT tests. Against city cars of a similar age (21.0% fail rate), the 2012 Up comes out 6.2pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.0%) and brakes (5.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, headlamp aim and tread depth — service brake performance alone was recorded 3,303 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.4% versus 7.2%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 25.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 12.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.0% | 5,583 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.9% | 4,745 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.9% | 3,108 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.7% | 2,995 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.0% | 2,408 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.4% | 1,922 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 3,303 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,672 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,999 |
| 4 | Wipers | 1,883 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 1,533 |
| 6 | Washers | 1,440 |
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 | 25.7% | 20,625 |
| 2 | Brakes | 16.4% | 13,175 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.0% | 8,025 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.5% | 7,620 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 2,937 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.2% | 2,546 |
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 | 8,384 | 7.2% |
| 30-60k | 30,163 | 11.8% |
| 60-90k | 27,713 | 17.1% |
| 90-120k | 10,653 | 20.5% |
| 120-150k | 2,684 | 23.6% |
| 150k+ | 700 | 25.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 80,246 | 14.8% |
| Diesel | 59 | 15.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 15,520 | 12.1% |
| 2022 | 15,771 | 13.1% |
| 2023 | 16,127 | 14.8% |
| 2024 | 16,496 | 16.9% |
| 2025 | 16,391 | 16.8% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Up
On a 2012 Up, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 7.0% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (7.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.9% 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.
- Tyres (3.9% 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 2012 Volkswagen Ups pass their MOT?
85.2% of the 80,305 2012 Volkswagen Up MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Volkswagen Up?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.0% of tests, followed by brakes (5.9%).
Does the 2012 Up get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.2% in the 0-30k band to 25.4% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 80,305 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.