Does the Volkswagen up! fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

The Volkswagen up! records 3.52 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 8.66 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−5.14, 95% interval −5.21 to −5.07). It ranks 529 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Volkswagen up! by registration

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volkswagen up! is “The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements”, recorded 4,507 times in 2019–2024.

Volkswagen up!: most frequent lamps, reflectors and electrics defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wording	Items	Per 100 tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	4,507	0.69
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	4,393	0.67
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	2,655	0.40
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED	2,213	0.34
An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	1,389	0.21

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 656,392 (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

Does the Volkswagen up! fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

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