Does the Volkswagen Transporter fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Volkswagen Transporter records 25.20 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 25.85 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.65, 95% interval −0.73 to −0.57). It ranks 298 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Volkswagen Transporter by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volkswagen Transporter is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 113,155 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 113,155 | 6.98 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 86,700 | 5.35 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 65,587 | 4.05 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 50,839 | 3.14 |
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 42,656 | 2.63 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,621,121 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Volkswagen Transporter gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
25.2% of Volkswagen Transporter MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 5,082 miles later (224,380 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 224,380 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
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