Car statistics by year

2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Volkswagen Arteon cars first registered in 2021: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2021, so like is set against like.

A year of the Volkswagen Arteon. “2021” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
1,484 MOT tests of 2021 Volkswagen Arteon cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 87.3% All 2021 cars 88.4%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 40,400 miles; all 2021 cars 30,700
  • Left at the end of 2025 1,480 94.1% of the 1,572 at the end of 2021
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 6.6% All 2021 cars 3.8%
  • Tests with an advisory 37.3% All 2021 cars 33.1%
  • MOT tests in 2025 1,484 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2021 Volkswagen Arteons do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 4 years old, 87.3% of 2021 Volkswagen Arteon MOT tests were passed first time, against 88.4% for all cars first registered in 2021. 2021 Volkswagen Arteons did worse than average for their age, by 1.1 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 87.5% of the time (all 2021 cars 88.7%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Volkswagen Arteon vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Volkswagen Arteon bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Volkswagen Arteon compared with all cars
First registered Volkswagen ArteonAll cars
’17 87.3%79.1%
’18 85.2%81.8%
’19 86.0%84.4%
’20 87.4%86.9%
’21 87.3%88.4%
’22 87.6%89.4%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

Tyres: ply or cords exposed was the most common single reason a 2021 Volkswagen Arteon failed, on 20.6% of about 200 failed tests. By area of the car, tyres failed most often (59.3% of failed tests; all 2021 cars 41.9%). 6.6% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 3.8% for all cars first registered in 2021. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2021 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres 20.6%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 19.0%
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension 14.8%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes 8.5%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 8.5%
Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres 6.3%
Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres 6.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Volkswagen Arteon vs all 2021 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2021 Volkswagen Arteon MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2021 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Tyres 59.3%
Suspension 18.0%
Brakes 14.3%
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 9.0%
Noise, emissions and leaks 5.8%
Visibility 5.3%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 3.7%
Body, chassis, structure 3.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 37.3% of 2021 Volkswagen Arteon tests had at least one (all 2021 cars 33.1%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2021 Volkswagen Arteon tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 14.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 8.8%
Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension 7.5%
Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes 7.4%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 4.6%
Nail in tyre Non-component advisories 3.0%
Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories 1.9%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes 1.8%
Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres 1.7%
Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension 0.9%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2021 Volkswagen Arteon?

Half of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteons tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 40,400 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 30,100 and a quarter more than 53,700. For all cars first registered in 2021, the middle figure was 30,700 miles, so 2021 Volkswagen Arteons have been driven 31.6% further than average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2021 Volkswagen Arteon and all 2021 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2021 Volkswagen Arteon 21,700 30,100 40,400 53,700 72,900 1,426
All 2021 cars 14,300 21,300 30,700 42,500 56,500 1,457,950
miles

Half of the 2021 Volkswagen Arteons tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 40,400 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2021 Volkswagen Arteons are left?

At the end of 2021, 1,572 2021 Volkswagen Arteons were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 1,480 were: 1,458 licensed and 22 declared off the road (SORN). That is 94.1% still on the record, against 96.0% for all cars first registered in 2021.

Share still on the record since 2021

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2021. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2021 Volkswagen Arteons on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2021, compared with all 2021 cars
Year end 2021 Volkswagen ArteonAll 2021 cars
2021 100.0%100.0%
2022 99.0%98.4%
2023 97.1%97.6%
2024 95.1%94.7%
2025 94.1%96.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2021

5 of the Volkswagen Arteon’s 9 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2021.

The 2021 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2021 may have been built in 2020, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Every Volkswagen Arteon recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the Volkswagen Arteon

6 years of the Volkswagen Arteon, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2017 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (87.3% passed first time) and the 2022 cars worst (87.6%).

Volkswagen Arteons by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
2017 570 529 87.3% 79.1%
2018 2,276 2,105 85.2% 81.8%
2019 2,582 2,362 86.0% 84.4%
2020 1,579 1,516 87.4% 86.9%
2021 1,572 1,480 87.3% 88.4%
2022 1,945 1,847 87.6% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered. Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 1,484 MOT tests of 2021 Volkswagen Arteon cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 1,480 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Volkswagen Arteon cars first registered in 2021; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2021.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.