2015 Volkswagen Up — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Volkswagen Up passed 87.3% of its 92,140 recorded MOT tests. That is 2.9 percentage points better than city cars of a similar age, which fail at 15.6%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.1%) and visibility (3.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, wipers and position lamp — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 3,721 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.0% versus 8.1%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 10.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 5,636 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.7% | 3,446 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.7% | 3,401 |
| 4 | Tyres | 3.7% | 3,387 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.1% | 1,886 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.0% | 1,871 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 3,721 |
| 2 | Wipers | 3,031 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 2,768 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,716 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 1,952 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 1,691 |
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 | 24.2% | 22,265 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.0% | 12,013 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.9% | 6,310 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.3% | 5,804 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.9% | 2,634 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 978 |
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 | 27,874 | 8.1% |
| 30-60k | 44,115 | 12.9% |
| 60-90k | 16,183 | 17.5% |
| 90-120k | 3,219 | 21.5% |
| 120-150k | 579 | 23.1% |
| 150k+ | 162 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 91,973 | 12.7% |
| Electric | 167 | 12.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 17,993 | 10.4% |
| 2022 | 18,245 | 11.1% |
| 2023 | 18,526 | 12.8% |
| 2024 | 18,582 | 14.4% |
| 2025 | 18,794 | 14.5% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Up
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.1% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.7% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (3.7% 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 2015 Volkswagen Ups pass their MOT?
87.3% of the 92,140 2015 Volkswagen Up MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Volkswagen Up?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.1% of tests, followed by visibility (3.7%).
Does the 2015 Up get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.1% in the 0-30k band to 29.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 92,140 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.