2018 Volkswagen Up — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 69,814 MOT tests, the 2018 Volkswagen Up recorded a 91.6% pass rate. Against city cars of a similar age (9.7% fail rate), the 2018 Up comes out 1.4pp better. Failures cluster in visibility, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (3.8%) and lighting & signalling (3.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — wipers alone was recorded 2,615 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.0% in the 0-30k band and 13.0% in the 120-150k band, a 7.0-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 5.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 3.8% | 2,677 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.2% | 2,248 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.0% | 2,110 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.7% | 1,180 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 840 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 399 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,615 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,761 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 698 |
| 4 | Washers | 679 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 653 |
| 6 | Service brake performance | 574 |
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 | 20.6% | 14,387 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.7% | 6,756 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.1% | 4,926 |
| 4 | Suspension | 4.0% | 2,787 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.4% | 1,697 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 390 |
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 | 45,860 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 20,432 | 12.1% |
| 60-90k | 3,018 | 17.2% |
| 90-120k | 401 | 20.9% |
| 120-150k | 54 | 13.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 69,694 | 8.4% |
| Electric | 120 | 5.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,608 | 5.1% |
| 2022 | 13,888 | 6.9% |
| 2023 | 14,065 | 8.6% |
| 2024 | 14,009 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 14,244 | 10.7% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Up
On a 2018 Up, visibility is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 3.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Visibility (3.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.0% 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 2018 Volkswagen Ups pass their MOT?
91.6% of the 69,814 2018 Volkswagen Up MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Volkswagen Up?
Visibility, recorded in 3.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.2%).
Does the 2018 Up get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.0% in the 0-30k band to 13.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 69,814 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.