2025 MOT results
Volkswagen Arteon common problems
The most common reason a Volkswagen Arteon fails its MOT is a tyre worn through to the cords, on 17.3% of its 1,289 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a leaking damper at 11.9% of failures against 2.0% expected; a tyres lump at 2.5% of failures against 1.0% expected; a tyre worn through to the cords at 17.3% of failures against 7.3% expected.
- Tests in 2025 9,629 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 13.4% 1,289 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.9% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 38.5% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volkswagen Arteon MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volkswagen Arteon tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 17.3% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 17.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 14.6% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 11.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 10.9% |
| Tyres: bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 6.6% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.8% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% |
| Tyres: tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 3.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 2.7% |
| Tyres: lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | 2.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Tyre worn through to the cords
17.3% of failures 7.3% expected 2.4 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Cut tyre
17.2% of failures 12.4% expected somewhat more often
A cut in the tyre deep or long enough to reach the structure underneath, usually from a kerb or debris.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
14.6% of failures 10.8% expected somewhat more often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Leaking damper
11.9% of failures 2.0% expected 6 times as often
A damper leaking its oil, so it no longer controls the spring.
A wet, dirty streak down the damper body, or a corner that keeps bouncing after you push it down.
-
Worn brake pads
10.9% of failures 9.3% expected somewhat more often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Bulge in a tyre
6.6% of failures 3.2% expected 2.1 times as often
A bulge in the sidewall, where the casing inside the tyre has failed after an impact.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
Which parts of the car fail
Tyres is the area that most often fails a Volkswagen Arteon, on 56.8% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 37.4%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 56.8% |
| Suspension | 17.1% |
| Brakes | 15.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.9% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.9% |
| Visibility | 6.1% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.9% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
38.5% of Volkswagen Arteon tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volkswagen Arteons, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 15.5% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 9.1% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 8.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 4.7% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 3.0% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.2% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 2.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 1.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged Tyres | 0.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Volkswagen Arteon problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volkswagen Arteon?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Tyres: ply or cords exposed” is the most common: it appears on 17.3% of failed Volkswagen Arteon tests. Across categories, tyres is the area that most often fails one, on 56.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Volkswagen Arteon fail its MOT?
13.4% of Volkswagen Arteon tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 9,629 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 56 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volkswagen Arteon than on other cars?
Yes. “Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak” appears on 11.9% of its failures against 2.0% for cars of the same age, and “Tyres: lump, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure” appears on 2.5% of its failures against 1.0% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Volkswagen Arteon aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 9,629 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.