Pass rate, every year
495 tests across 2 model years, 2020–2021.
+12.7 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
495 tests across 2 model years, 2020–2021.
+12.7 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2020 95.5%
The strongest of the 2 years on record. See the 2020 page →
Worst year to buy
2021 91.7%
3.8 points below the 2020 peak. See the 2021 page →
The Volkswagen Up White MOT pass rate is 93.7%, +12.7 percentage points above the UK average. That is 495 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2020 and 2021. This page lists the most common Volkswagen Up White 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 Up White MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volkswagen Up White passed on its first attempt in 93.4%, and its overall record sits +12.7 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Up White in the 2023–2025 data: 495 tests across 2 model years (2020–2021). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 495 |
| Overall pass rate | 93.7% |
| Passed on first attempt | 93.4% |
| Average mileage at test | 18,671 mi |
| Model years covered | 2020–2021 (2 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +12.7 pts above |
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 Up White, 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 | 50% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 30% |
| Visibility | 15% |
| Suspension | 2% |
| Brakes | 2% |
Shares are over the Volkswagen Up White's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 50% of the recorded Volkswagen Up White failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (2.4%), "Has a lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (0.6%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (0.6%) among the Volkswagen Up White's tyres faults.
Around 30% of the recorded Volkswagen Up White failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Headlamp aim too low" (0.8%), "Position lamp has a product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity" (0.4%), "Rear reflectors defective or damaged by up to 50% of the reflecting surface" (0.4%) among the Volkswagen Up White's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 15% of the recorded Volkswagen Up White failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.4%), "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (0.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.4%) among the Volkswagen Up White's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Up White, each with how many of the model's 495 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Volkswagen Up White model year on record is 2020 (95.5% across 265 tests), and the weakest is 2021 (91.7%). The gap between them is 3.8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Up White | 230 | 91.7% |
| 2020 Up White | 265 | 95.5% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volkswagen Up White's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Up White.
the lights — “headlamp aim too low”
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 wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”
Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.
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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Up White. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
93.7% of the 495 recorded Volkswagen Up White MOT tests ended in a pass, +12.7 percentage points above the national average. 93.4% of those passed on the first attempt.
2020 is the strongest Volkswagen Up White year on record at 95.5%, while 2021 is the weakest at 91.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volkswagen Up White failures are "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" and "Headlamp aim too low" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Tyres section.