Know Your MOT
34.5%fail rate

Volkswagen Vento common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 47,397 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 34.5% of MOT tests recorded on the Volkswagen Vento in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 40.1% of the Volkswagen Vento's failures, followed by brakes, suspension, lamps & electrical, other. 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

Brakes40.1% 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.

Suspension35.2% 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.

Lamps & electrical34.0% 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.

Other24.5% of failures

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

Exhaust & emissions23.6% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Tyres20.3% 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.

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).

199236.7% fail · 1,213 tests
199335.0% fail · 6,916 tests
199435.8% fail · 11,380 tests
199535.6% fail · 12,652 tests
199632.3% fail · 6,225 tests
199732.1% fail · 7,404 tests
199831.6% fail · 1,457 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 brakes failure: Volkswagen Vento brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Vento brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Vento brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Volkswagen Vento suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Vento suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Vento suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Volkswagen Vento headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Vento headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Vento headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Volkswagen Vento exhaustSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Vento exhaustaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Vento exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Volkswagen Vento tyresSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Vento tyresaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Vento tyres 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