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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Volkswagen Touran MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Touran cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 23,013 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=5,622)32.5%
All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%
Difference−5.7 pts
MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 202523,013

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 13 years old, Volkswagen Touran cars first used in 2012 failed 32.5% of MOTs (5,622 tests), 5.7 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 28.1% to 32.5%.
  • Volkswagen Touran cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 33.2% at the same age of 13 years (6,005 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Touran at 13 years, is linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, at 5.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Touran 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 yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202210 years28.1%5,72930.3%−2.2 pts
202311 years30.6%5,91433.3%−2.6 pts
202412 years31.2%5,74836.0%−4.8 pts
202513 years32.5%5,62238.3%−5.7 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Touran MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,262). 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 itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt5.11.4
Coil spring broken4.64.1
Tyre with cords exposed Wear4.11.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear3.43.0
Suspension arm bush worn3.32.0
Driveshaft CV boot split2.72.0
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear2.32.1
Side/position light not working Wear2.04.8
Brake light not working Wear1.93.1
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.90.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=23,262). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear24.818.2
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement18.08.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened10.710.6
Shock absorber misting oil8.74.0
Brake pads wearing thin Wear8.57.3
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive6.97.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear6.59.1
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened6.33.8
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear5.35.2
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear5.03.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=23,262). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Touran MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,262). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel88.2%38.2%20,51139.1%119,882 miles
Petrol11.8%28.1%2,75037.7%72,051 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Touran MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=23,262). At 13 years, Volkswagen Touran cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (41.2%, n=4,631) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (23.1%, n=1,344). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles23.1%1,34429.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles32.7%4,16338.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles38.3%7,06442.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles39.9%5,81343.2%
Over 150,000 miles41.2%4,63143.0%

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

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • 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 Touran

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2012

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2012)13 years in 202532.9%51,02538.3%
Volkswagen Polo (2012)13 years in 202539.0%37,27538.3%
Volkswagen Passat (2012)13 years in 202535.1%13,19838.3%
Volkswagen up! (2012)13 years in 202526.1%13,88838.3%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2012)13 years in 202533.9%8,83238.3%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2012)13 years in 202534.8%4,19538.3%
Volkswagen CC (2012)13 years in 202530.3%2,13738.3%
Volkswagen Beetle (2012)13 years in 202534.3%2,29738.3%

More on the Volkswagen Touran

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 Touran 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.