MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Volkswagen Amarok MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Amarok cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 4,994 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=1,187)32.7%

All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%

Difference−5.6 pts

MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 20254,994

What stands out

In 2025, at 13 years old, Volkswagen Amarok cars first used in 2012 failed 32.7% of MOTs (1,187 tests), 5.6 points below the 38.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 33.8% to 32.7%.
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Amarok at 13 years, is handbrake too weak, at 4.2 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Amarok cars first used in 2012: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	10 years	33.8%	1,315	30.3%	+3.5 pts
2023	11 years	32.8%	1,264	33.3%	−0.4 pts
2024	12 years	35.0%	1,228	36.0%	−1.0 pts
2025	13 years	32.7%	1,187	38.3%	−5.6 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Amarok MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2011 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=1,753). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rear fog lamp: not working Wear	6.2	0.6
Handbrake too weak	4.2	1.7
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.4	2.2
Side/position light not working Wear	3.3	4.8
Coil spring broken	3.2	4.1
Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side	2.5	0.8
Brake light not working Wear	2.4	3.1
Anti-roll bar pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn	2.3	0.1
Service brake performance: excessively binding	2.2	1.1
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	2.1	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=1,753). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	14.2	18.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	8.4	5.2
Coil spring: corroded	7.4	5.6
Anti-roll bar pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement	6.4	0.5
Shock absorber misting oil	5.8	4.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	5.2	7.2
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view	5.1	2.9
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	4.0	7.3
Shock absorbers: has slight external damage to the casing	3.4	0.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	3.0	10.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=1,753). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Amarok MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2011 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=1,753). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	100.0%	34.9%	1,750	39.1%	129,341 miles

Car tax rules for a 2012 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volkswagen Amarok

2013 Volkswagen Amarok

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2012

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2012)	13 years in 2025	32.9%	51,025	38.3%
Volkswagen Polo (2012)	13 years in 2025	39.0%	37,275	38.3%
Volkswagen Passat (2012)	13 years in 2025	35.1%	13,198	38.3%
Volkswagen up! (2012)	13 years in 2025	26.1%	13,888	38.3%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2012)	13 years in 2025	33.9%	8,832	38.3%
Volkswagen Touran (2012)	13 years in 2025	32.5%	5,622	38.3%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2012)	13 years in 2025	34.8%	4,195	38.3%
Volkswagen CC (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.3%	2,137	38.3%

More on the Volkswagen Amarok

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2012 Volkswagen Amarok cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.