Car statistics
Volkswagen car statistics
How many Volkswagen cars are on the road in Great Britain, every Volkswagen model, its share of new cars over time and which fuels they use, how they do at the MOT and their safety recalls. Built from DVLA licensing records and DVSA MOT results.
- Licensed in Great Britain 2,937,243 +1.5% on a year earlier
- Rank among makes No. 2 8.7% of licensed cars
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 74.1% Cars of the same ages 72.5%
- New registrations in 2025 181,735 9.0% of all new cars
- Most common fuel Petrol 57.5% of those licensed
- Safety recalls since 1992 149 naming 29 Volkswagen models
How many Volkswagen cars are on the road?
There were 2,937,243 Volkswagen cars licensed in Great Britain at the end of June 2026, and a further 289,547 declared off the road (SORN). That is 8.7% of all licensed cars, or about 1 in 12, making Volkswagen the No. 2 make on the road. That is the most on the road at any year end since 1994. Hybrid makes up 2.5% of licensed Volkswagen cars, against 9.4% of all cars.
Volkswagen cars licensed in Great Britain
Numbers are still rising: the latest count is the highest in this series.
| Year | Licensed |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 1,053,132 |
| 1995 | 1,064,379 |
| 1996 | 1,137,218 |
| 1997 | 1,197,447 |
| 1998 | 1,254,408 |
| 1999 | 1,347,121 |
| 2000 | 1,433,455 |
| 2001 | 1,526,966 |
| 2002 | 1,617,452 |
| 2003 | 1,683,471 |
| 2004 | 1,773,402 |
| 2005 | 1,860,494 |
| 2006 | 1,930,494 |
| 2007 | 2,022,734 |
| 2008 | 2,097,272 |
| 2009 | 2,139,798 |
| 2010 | 2,203,266 |
| 2011 | 2,267,248 |
| 2012 | 2,339,759 |
| 2013 | 2,415,716 |
| 2014 | 2,477,885 |
| 2015 | 2,556,375 |
| 2016 | 2,626,864 |
| 2017 | 2,665,595 |
| 2018 | 2,708,912 |
| 2019 | 2,749,313 |
| 2020 | 2,745,870 |
| 2021 | 2,769,750 |
| 2022 | 2,790,707 |
| 2023 | 2,822,720 |
| 2024 | 2,859,094 |
| 2025 | 2,912,346 |
| 2026 | 2,937,243 |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Fuel type
Volkswagen cars
All cars in Great Britain
Source:DfT / DVLA End of June 2026 Updated
Volkswagen models
41 Volkswagen models have a page of their own. The most common is the Volkswagen Golf, with 899,678 licensed: 30.6% of all Volkswagen cars on the road. Over the last year the Tiguan added the most cars on the road (+20,804, +6.6%) and the Golf lost the most (−16,491, −1.8%). The totals above also count models too small for a page of their own.
| Model | Licensed | Change on a year | SORN | Main fuel | MOT pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golf | 899,678 | −1.8% | 121,549 | Petrol | 75.0% |
| Polo | 664,223 | −0.2% | 49,080 | Petrol | 67.4% |
| Tiguan | 336,011 | +6.6% | 4,806 | Diesel | 81.4% |
| T-Roc | 168,200 | +13.9% | 799 | Petrol | 90.7% |
| Passat | 159,838 | −7.4% | 38,308 | Diesel | 71.5% |
| Up | 129,063 | +0.2% | 1,654 | Petrol | 79.5% |
| Touran | 59,689 | −7.6% | 7,347 | Diesel | 67.9% |
| T-Cross | 56,798 | +12.3% | 194 | Petrol | 88.6% |
| ID3 | 54,383 | +24.7% | 265 | Electric | 89.0% |
| Scirocco | 41,598 | −4.2% | 4,717 | Diesel | 68.4% |
| Beetle | 40,900 | −7.1% | 16,588 | Petrol | 59.1% |
| ID4 | 39,795 | +26.9% | 263 | Electric | 87.7% |
| Touareg | 38,625 | −1.2% | 4,625 | Diesel | 77.3% |
| Taigo | 30,372 | +22.6% | 95 | Petrol | 88.7% |
| Sharan | 27,102 | −5.2% | 5,082 | Diesel | 75.7% |
| Caddy | 26,811 | +5.7% | 978 | Diesel | – |
| Transporter | 17,320 | +1.5% | 1,276 | Diesel | – |
| ID7 | 12,804 | +77.1% | 57 | Electric | – |
| ID5 | 12,299 | +20.1% | 61 | Electric | 87.9% |
| CC | 12,176 | −4.7% | 878 | Diesel | 71.5% |
| Urban | 11,035 | −12.6% | 1,321 | Petrol | – |
| Arteon | 10,869 | −2.4% | 146 | Petrol | 86.6% |
| Jetta | 9,716 | −14.1% | 2,654 | Diesel | 64.8% |
| Id Buzz | 9,271 | +61.9% | 90 | Electric | – |
| Eos | 9,138 | −13.5% | 2,029 | Diesel | 63.2% |
| Caravelle | 9,047 | −2.3% | 1,016 | Diesel | – |
| Fox | 8,560 | −12.7% | 1,071 | Petrol | – |
| Tayron | 7,965 | +519.4% | 55 | Hybrid | – |
| Multivan | 6,505 | +45.8% | 106 | Plug-in hybrid | – |
| Lupo | 4,003 | −15.5% | 4,038 | Petrol | 59.8% |
| Bora | 3,377 | −17.8% | 4,847 | Diesel | 60.7% |
| California | 1,817 | +17.5% | 16 | Diesel | – |
| Corrado | 937 | −0.6% | 2,930 | Petrol | 73.2% |
| Karmann Ghia | 860 | +3.0% | 468 | Petrol | – |
| 1300 | 765 | −1.7% | 782 | Petrol | – |
| Crafter | 680 | +37.1% | 18 | Diesel | – |
| Phaeton | 561 | −14.5% | 465 | Diesel | – |
| 1200 | 495 | −2.8% | 413 | Petrol | – |
| 1500 | 481 | −1.8% | 486 | Petrol | – |
| 1600 | 228 | −9.5% | 206 | Petrol | – |
| 1303 | 158 | −0.6% | 98 | Petrol | – |
MOT pass rates are first-time passes of cars aged three and over in 2025. A dash means too few tests, or a model DVSA’s records do not separate from vans.
New Volkswagen cars registered each year
Registrations of new Volkswagen cars in Great Britain peaked at 219,730 in 2015. In 2025, 181,735 were registered for the first time: 9.0% of all new cars, against 9.2% in 2011, Volkswagen’s best year for share of new cars.
Registered for the first time, by year
| Year | First registrations |
|---|---|
| ’01 | 186,972 |
| ’02 | 195,224 |
| ’03 | 183,417 |
| ’04 | 180,533 |
| ’05 | 183,853 |
| ’06 | 188,325 |
| ’07 | 195,368 |
| ’08 | 176,660 |
| ’09 | 158,336 |
| ’10 | 171,140 |
| ’11 | 176,054 |
| ’12 | 179,699 |
| ’13 | 189,962 |
| ’14 | 210,430 |
| ’15 | 219,730 |
| ’16 | 202,879 |
| ’17 | 204,544 |
| ’18 | 198,760 |
| ’19 | 198,608 |
| ’20 | 146,231 |
| ’21 | 146,333 |
| ’22 | 132,186 |
| ’23 | 163,406 |
| ’24 | 168,126 |
| ’25 | 181,735 |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Share of all new cars
Volkswagen’s first registrations as a share of every car registered for the first time in Great Britain that year.
| Year | Share of new cars |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 7.2% |
| 2002 | 7.3% |
| 2003 | 6.9% |
| 2004 | 6.9% |
| 2005 | 7.5% |
| 2006 | 8.0% |
| 2007 | 8.2% |
| 2008 | 8.4% |
| 2009 | 8.0% |
| 2010 | 8.6% |
| 2011 | 9.2% |
| 2012 | 8.9% |
| 2013 | 8.5% |
| 2014 | 8.6% |
| 2015 | 8.4% |
| 2016 | 7.6% |
| 2017 | 8.2% |
| 2018 | 8.5% |
| 2019 | 8.7% |
| 2020 | 9.0% |
| 2021 | 8.9% |
| 2022 | 8.2% |
| 2023 | 8.6% |
| 2024 | 8.6% |
| 2025 | 9.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA 2001 to 2025 Updated
Volkswagen MOT reliability
In 2025, 74.1% of MOT tests of Volkswagen cars were passed first time, from 2,518,664 tests. Cars of the same ages pass 72.5% of the time, so Volkswagen does better than average for the age of its cars, by 1.6 points. That ranks Volkswagen No. 22 of the 50 makes with enough tests to compare. 6.9% of Volkswagen tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Among Volkswagen models with enough tests, the Corrado does best for its age (+12.2 points against cars of the same ages) and the Beetle does worst (−5.4 points). Average age at test for Volkswagen cars: 10.8 years.
| Model | Tests | Pass rate | Same ages | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corrado | 1,189 | 73.2% | 61.0% | +12.2 pts |
| Up | 127,323 | 79.5% | 73.4% | +6.1 pts |
| Touareg | 36,773 | 77.3% | 72.4% | +4.9 pts |
| T-Roc | 93,169 | 90.7% | 86.1% | +4.6 pts |
| Golf | 875,265 | 75.0% | 70.7% | +4.3 pts |
| Tiguan | 255,395 | 81.4% | 78.1% | +3.3 pts |
| Eos | 10,826 | 63.2% | 60.0% | +3.2 pts |
| CC | 13,377 | 71.5% | 69.1% | +2.4 pts |
| Passat | 175,720 | 71.5% | 69.6% | +1.9 pts |
| T-Cross | 31,016 | 88.6% | 87.1% | +1.5 pts |
| Sharan | 35,031 | 75.7% | 74.4% | +1.3 pts |
| Arteon | 9,629 | 86.6% | 85.3% | +1.3 pts |
| Scirocco | 45,864 | 68.4% | 67.2% | +1.2 pts |
| Jetta | 11,389 | 64.8% | 64.0% | +0.8 pts |
| ID3 | 25,750 | 89.0% | 88.3% | +0.7 pts |
| Touran | 68,251 | 67.9% | 67.5% | +0.4 pts |
| Bora | 4,358 | 60.7% | 60.8% | −0.1 pts |
| Taigo | 5,953 | 88.7% | 89.4% | −0.7 pts |
| ID4 | 10,705 | 87.7% | 88.7% | −1.0 pts |
| Lupo | 5,137 | 59.8% | 61.0% | −1.2 pts |
| ID5 | 2,688 | 87.9% | 89.5% | −1.6 pts |
| Polo | 631,418 | 67.4% | 71.2% | −3.8 pts |
| Beetle | 40,521 | 59.1% | 64.5% | −5.4 pts |
Every make and model ranked on MOT results
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Volkswagen safety recalls
DVSA lists 149 safety recalls naming a Volkswagen car model since 1992, across 29 models. 96 were launched from 2016 to 2025, ranking Volkswagen No. 8 of the makes with recalls in those years. A recall naming several Volkswagen models counts once.
Recalls launched each year, 2006 to 2025
| Year | Recalls |
|---|---|
| ’06 | 2 |
| ’07 | 3 |
| ’08 | 2 |
| ’09 | 2 |
| ’10 | 0 |
| ’11 | 1 |
| ’12 | 0 |
| ’13 | 1 |
| ’14 | 1 |
| ’15 | 6 |
| ’16 | 10 |
| ’17 | 6 |
| ’18 | 15 |
| ’19 | 14 |
| ’20 | 9 |
| ’21 | 15 |
| ’22 | 5 |
| ’23 | 4 |
| ’24 | 5 |
| ’25 | 13 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Models with the most recalls
| Model | Recalls |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf | 43 |
| Volkswagen Passat | 40 |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 30 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 24 |
| Volkswagen Touareg | 14 |
| Volkswagen Touran | 14 |
| Volkswagen Sharan | 10 |
| Volkswagen Arteon | 9 |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 9 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 9 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Latest Volkswagen recalls
- 12 Mar 2026 Battery Check Volkswagen ID3, Volkswagen Id Buzz
- 11 Mar 2026 USA Imported vehicle Recall Driver side airbag module replacement Volkswagen Beetle
- 29 Dec 2025 Replace battery modules Volkswagen Id Buzz, Volkswagen ID3
- 15 Dec 2025 Hybrid battery management reprogramming Volkswagen Touareg
- 15 Nov 2025 Exterior door handle software update Volkswagen ID7, Volkswagen ID5, Volkswagen ID4
Models mostly registered as vans are left out, as on our recalls hub. A recall applies to vehicles built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Volkswagen. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. How we match recalls to models.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Makes of a similar size
| Rank | Make | Licensed | Change on a year | Main fuel | MOT vs same ages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford | 3,615,010 | −2.6% | Petrol | −2.4 pts |
| 2 | Volkswagen | 2,937,243 | +1.5% | Petrol | +1.6 pts |
| 3 | Vauxhall | 2,486,163 | −4.5% | Petrol | −5.0 pts |
| 4 | BMW | 2,067,127 | +1.2% | Diesel | +5.6 pts |
| 5 | Audi | 1,995,404 | +1.9% | Petrol | +4.7 pts |
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licensed and SORN counts | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of June 2026 | 37,519,147 car records (licensed and SORN) | 2 October 2026 |
| Registered for the first time | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | 2001 to 2025 | – | 2 October 2026 |
| MOT results | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 29,122,953 car MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
| Safety recalls | Vehicle safety recalls Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | January 1992 to September 2026 | 7,495 road vehicle recalls (R/) | 15 September 2026 |
- Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
- Make totals count every car DVLA records under the make, including models too small for a page of their own. The rank is among all 529 makes on the record.
- Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
- First registrations count cars registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
- MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over; retests are excluded. The same-ages figure is what all cars would score with this make’s mix of ages.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.