Car statistics by year
2016 Volkswagen Up
Volkswagen Up cars first registered in 2016: 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 2016, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 76.3% All 2016 cars 75.6%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 43,800 miles; all 2016 cars 65,300
- Left at the end of 2025 12,740 98.5% of the 12,928 at the end of 2016
- Tests finding a dangerous defect 4.3% All 2016 cars 6.7%
- Tests with an advisory 41.7% All 2016 cars 48.6%
- MOT tests in 2025 12,823 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 2016 Volkswagen Ups do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 9 years old, 76.3% of 2016 Volkswagen Up MOT tests were passed first time, against 75.6% for all cars first registered in 2016. 2016 Volkswagen Ups did about as well as average for their age. A year earlier the same cars passed 77.2% of the time (all 2016 cars 77.5%).
MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Volkswagen Up 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 Up bar with the all-cars bar beside it.
| First registered | Volkswagen Up | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| ’12 | 73.9% | 63.6% |
| ’13 | 76.2% | 66.0% |
| ’14 | 77.4% | 69.1% |
| ’15 | 77.5% | 72.6% |
| ’16 | 76.3% | 75.6% |
| ’17 | 81.4% | 79.1% |
| ’18 | 84.8% | 81.8% |
| ’19 | 88.4% | 84.4% |
| ’20 | 90.5% | 86.9% |
| ’21 | 90.5% | 88.4% |
| ’22 | 90.3% | 89.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failures on the 2016 Volkswagen Up
Position lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2016 Volkswagen Up failed, on 15.1% of about 3,000 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (36.9% of failed tests; all 2016 cars 27.9%). 4.3% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 6.7% for all cars first registered in 2016. 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.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 11.4% |
| Catalyst emissions: lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.7% |
| Fuel cap or sealing device: ineffective Body, chassis, structure | 7.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.9% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.5% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.1% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 5.4% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.0% |
| Catalyst emissions: carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Failure categories: Volkswagen Up vs all 2016 cars
The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 36.9% |
| Suspension | 21.6% |
| Brakes | 19.2% |
| Tyres | 16.9% |
| Visibility | 13.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.6% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT advisories on the 2016 Volkswagen Up
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 41.7% of 2016 Volkswagen Up tests had at least one (all 2016 cars 48.6%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 14.2% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 11.0% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 3.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.6% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 2.5% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 1.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.7% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 1.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 2016 Volkswagen Up?
Half of the 2016 Volkswagen Ups tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 43,800 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 28,900 and a quarter more than 60,400. For all cars first registered in 2016, the middle figure was 65,300 miles, so 2016 Volkswagen Ups have been driven 32.9% less far 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%.
| 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Volkswagen Up | 18,400 | 28,900 | 43,800 | 60,400 | 77,700 | 12,495 |
| All 2016 cars | 32,200 | 47,000 | 65,300 | 86,000 | 108,800 | 2,323,151 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 2016 Volkswagen Ups are left?
At the end of 2016, 12,928 2016 Volkswagen Ups were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 12,740 were: 12,640 licensed and 100 declared off the road (SORN). That is 98.5% still on the record, against 94.1% for all cars first registered in 2016.
Share still on the record since 2016
Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2016. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.
| Year end | 2016 Volkswagen Up | All 2016 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2017 | 100.7% | 100.0% |
| 2018 | 100.0% | 99.0% |
| 2019 | 99.4% | 96.5% |
| 2020 | 98.7% | 96.5% |
| 2021 | 99.6% | 96.6% |
| 2022 | 99.0% | 96.4% |
| 2023 | 98.8% | 95.6% |
| 2024 | 98.6% | 95.0% |
| 2025 | 98.5% | 94.1% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 2016
6 of the Volkswagen Up’s 8 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2016.
The 2016 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2016 may have been built in 2015, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.
| Launched | Concern | Built | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Aug 2025 | Takata front drivers or passenger airbag replacement | 16 Jul 2012 to 30 Apr 2016 | 10 |
| 13 Jun 2023 | Takata Front airbag | 16 Jul 2012 to 30 Apr 2016 | 11 |
| 21 Dec 2017 | Towing eye in the vehicle tool kit may detach during use | 1 Oct 2015 to 31 Jul 2017 | 110,001 (all models) |
| 22 Mar 2017 | Airbag/belt tensioners may not trigger in event of an accident | 1 May 2016 to 31 Oct 2016 | 3,879 (all models) |
| 9 Sept 2016 | Panoramic sunroof may detach | 1 Feb 2016 to 5 Apr 2016 | 5 |
| 23 Jun 2016 | Child lock may disengage | 25 Nov 2015 to 14 Apr 2016 | 13,620 (all models) |
Every Volkswagen Up 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 Up
11 years of the Volkswagen Up, 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 2012 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (73.9% passed first time) and the 2016 cars worst (76.3%).
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | – | 13,615 | 73.9% |
| 2013 | – | 19,821 | 76.2% |
| 2014 | 22,068 | 21,253 | 77.4% |
| 2015 | 16,623 | 16,123 | 77.5% |
| 2016 | 12,928 | 12,740 | 76.3% |
| 2017 | 13,284 | 13,108 | 81.4% |
| 2018 | 13,049 | 12,811 | 84.8% |
| 2019 | 8,304 | 8,212 | 88.4% |
| 2020 | 3,515 | 3,451 | 90.5% |
| 2021 | 4,466 | 4,317 | 90.5% |
| 2022 | 3,346 | 3,257 | 90.3% |
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). 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
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results and mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 12,823 MOT tests of 2016 Volkswagen Up cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 12,740 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Volkswagen Up cars first registered in 2016; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2016.
- 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.