Know Your MOT
20.4%fail rate

Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 2,201 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 20.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 27.2% of the Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, tyres. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical27.2% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Suspension23.7% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Brakes20.5% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Tyres19.9% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Other14.3% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers10.9% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Failure rate by year

How the MOT failure rate varies by the car's year of first registration (older examples generally fail more as wear sets in).

200535.3% fail · 173 tests
201419.4% fail · 165 tests
201815.9% fail · 252 tests
201914.9% fail · 845 tests

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle tyresSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle tyresaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Transporter Shuttle wiper blades on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Volkswagen Golf MOT failures24.9% failure rateVolkswagen Polo MOT failures27.1% failure rateVolkswagen Passat MOT failures26.3% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data · DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain