Does the Volkswagen up! fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Volkswagen up! records 0.12 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.53 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−1.41, 95% interval −1.44 to −1.38). It ranks 413 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Volkswagen up! by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volkswagen up! is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 265 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 265 | 0.04 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 253 | 0.04 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 128 | 0.02 |
| Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive | 67 | 0.01 |
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
If a Volkswagen up! gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
2.1% of Volkswagen up! MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 6,440 miles later (1,258 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,258 (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
Volkswagen up! 2012 · Volkswagen up! 2013 · Volkswagen up! 2014 · Volkswagen up! 2015 · Volkswagen up! 2016 · Volkswagen up! 2017 · Volkswagen up! 2018 · Volkswagen up! 2019 · Volkswagen up! 2020 · Volkswagen up! in Norway · Volkswagen up! in Finland · Volkswagen up! in the Netherlands · Volkswagen up! by postcode area · Volkswagen up! body, chassis and structure failures · Volkswagen up! brakes failures · Volkswagen up! vehicle identification failures · Volkswagen up! lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volkswagen up! noise, emissions and leaks failures · Volkswagen up! road wheels failures · Volkswagen up! seat belts and airbags failures · Volkswagen up! suspension failures · Volkswagen up! tyres failures · Volkswagen up! visibility failures