Pass rate, every year
89.2% Above average
25,196 tests across 7 model years, 2017–2023.
+8.2 pts vs the national average
Volkswagen Arteon MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2021 90.2%
The strongest of the 7 years on record. See the 2021 page →
Worst year to buy
2018 88.7%
1.5 points below the 2021 peak. See the 2018 page →
The Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rate is 89.2%, +8.2 percentage points above the UK average. That is 25,196 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2017 and 2023. This page lists the most common Volkswagen Arteon MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
Volkswagen Arteon MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Volkswagen Arteon passed on its first attempt in 88.0%, and its overall record sits +8.2 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Arteon in the 2023–2025 data: 25,196 tests across 7 model years (2017–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 25,196 |
| Overall pass rate | 89.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 88.0% |
| Average mileage at test | 44,844 mi |
| Model years covered | 2017–2023 (7 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +8.2 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Volkswagen Arteon MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volkswagen Arteon, the Tyres section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 51% |
| Visibility | 20% |
| Suspension | 12% |
| Brakes | 9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 2% |
Shares are over the Volkswagen Arteon's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Tyres
Around 51% of the recorded Volkswagen Arteon failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (2.2%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.5%), "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.1%) among the Volkswagen Arteon's tyres faults.
Visibility
Around 20% of the recorded Volkswagen Arteon failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.9%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.0%) among the Volkswagen Arteon's visibility faults.
Suspension
Around 12% of the recorded Volkswagen Arteon failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (1.3%), "Coil spring fractured or broken" (0.0%) among the Volkswagen Arteon's suspension faults.
Top Recorded Volkswagen Arteon DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Arteon, each with how many of the model's 25,196 tests it was noted on.
- "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (Major) — noted on about 554 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 476 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
- "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 373 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
- "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (Major) — noted on about 328 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
- "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (Major) — noted on about 275 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
- "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 224 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.
What Arteon fails on more than most
1 failure item is recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nail in tyre | 3.0% | 1.8% | 1.7× | £45–£95 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (25,196 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Arteon records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Volkswagen Arteon Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Volkswagen Arteon model year on record is 2021 (90.2% across 2,612 tests), and the weakest is 2018 (88.7%). The gap between them is 1.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Arteon | 71 | 90.1% |
| 2022 Arteon | 1,533 | 89.9% |
| 2021 Arteon | 2,612 | 90.2% |
| 2020 Arteon | 4,807 | 89.0% |
| 2019 Arteon | 7,611 | 89.2% |
| 2018 Arteon | 6,830 | 88.7% |
| 2017 Arteon | 1,732 | 90.1% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volkswagen Arteon Owners
These checks follow this Volkswagen Arteon's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Arteon.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
-
the shock absorbers — “shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak”
Press down hard on each corner of the car and let go. It should settle in one bounce; if it keeps rocking, or you can see oil weeping down a shock absorber, that is the fault a tester will find.
-
the tyre tread — “tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm”
Check all four tyres cold, including the inner shoulder where wear hides — 1.6mm across the central three-quarters is the legal limit, and most testers fail at 1.6mm without argument.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Arteon. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Volkswagen Arteon MOT & Reliability
What is the Volkswagen Arteon MOT pass rate?
89.2% of the 25,196 recorded Volkswagen Arteon MOT tests ended in a pass, +8.2 percentage points above the national average. 88.0% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Volkswagen Arteon model years pass the MOT most often?
2021 is the strongest Volkswagen Arteon year on record at 90.2%, while 2018 is the weakest at 88.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Volkswagen Arteon MOT failures?
The most recorded Volkswagen Arteon failures are "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.