Know Your MOT
25.4%fail rate

Volkswagen Window Van common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 126 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 25.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Volkswagen Window Van 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 40.6% of the Volkswagen Window Van's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, visibility/wipers, suspension, brakes. 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 & electrical40.6% 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.

Visibility/wipers34.4% 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.

Suspension31.2% 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.

Brakes21.9% 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.

Seat belts12.5% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

Steering12.5% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

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 Window Van headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Volkswagen Window Van wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Volkswagen Window Van suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Volkswagen Window Van brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Volkswagen Window Van seat beltsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van seat belts on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Volkswagen Window Van steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Volkswagen Window Van steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Volkswagen Window Van steering track rod ends 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 ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain