Pass rate, every year
399 tests across 5 model years, 2005–2011.
−9.8 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
399 tests across 5 model years, 2005–2011.
−9.8 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2011 77.9%
The strongest of the 5 years on record. See the 2011 page →
Worst year to buy
2005 63.5%
14.4 points below the 2011 peak. See the 2005 page →
The Volkswagen Shuttle MOT pass rate is 71.2%, −9.8 percentage points below the UK average. That is 399 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2005 and 2011. This page lists the most common Volkswagen Shuttle MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volkswagen Shuttle MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volkswagen Shuttle passed on its first attempt in 62.6%, and its overall record sits −9.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Shuttle in the 2023–2025 data: 399 tests across 5 model years (2005–2011). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 399 |
| Overall pass rate | 71.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 62.6% |
| Average mileage at test | 146,920 mi |
| Model years covered | 2005–2011 (5 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −9.8 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volkswagen Shuttle, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 41% |
| Suspension | 21% |
| Visibility | 17% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 9% |
| Brakes | 6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 5% |
| Steering | 1% |
Shares are over the Volkswagen Shuttle's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 41% of the recorded Volkswagen Shuttle failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (15.0%), "Position lamp not working" (3.3%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (2.5%) among the Volkswagen Shuttle's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 21% of the recorded Volkswagen Shuttle failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (4.8%), "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (4.3%), "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (2.5%) among the Volkswagen Shuttle's suspension faults.
Around 17% of the recorded Volkswagen Shuttle failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (7.8%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (1.3%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.5%) among the Volkswagen Shuttle's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Shuttle, each with how many of the model's 399 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Volkswagen Shuttle model year on record is 2011 (77.9% across 68 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (63.5%). The gap between them is 14.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Volkswagen Shuttle reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 3.4 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 Shuttle | 68 | 77.9% |
| 2010 Shuttle | 58 | 77.6% |
| 2008 Shuttle | 117 | 66.7% |
| 2007 Shuttle | 104 | 72.1% |
| 2005 Shuttle | 52 | 63.5% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volkswagen Shuttle's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Shuttle.
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
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 suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Shuttle. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
71.2% of the 399 recorded Volkswagen Shuttle MOT tests ended in a pass, −9.8 percentage points below the national average. 62.6% of those passed on the first attempt.
2011 is the strongest Volkswagen Shuttle year on record at 77.9%, while 2005 is the weakest at 63.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volkswagen Shuttle failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 23% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.