Common problems

Volkswagen Up electrical and lighting problems

How often MOT testers find lights and electrics faults on the Volkswagen Up at each age, against all cars of the same age, and which items come up most. From 501,026 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 10 years, the most tested age

Lights and electrics fails per 100 MOTs (n=71,930)7.2

All cars at 10 years (n=9,049,507)11.2

Lights and electrics advisories and minor defects per 100 MOTs (n=71,930)0.7

All cars, same age (n=9,049,507)5.9

What stands out

At 10 years, 7.2 of every 100 MOTs of the Volkswagen Up found a lights and electrics fail (n=71,930), against 11.2 for all cars of that age (n=9,049,507).
It is above the all-car rate at 2 of the 11 ages with at least 1,000 tests.
The gap is widest at 13 years: 9.7 per 100 MOTs against 17.0 for all cars.
The lights and electrics fail item recorded most often at 10 years: registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, on 1.7 per 100 MOTs.

Lights and electrics fails by age

Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.

Volkswagen Up: lights and electrics fails and advisories per 100 MOTs, by age, against all cars. Ages with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Age	Tests (n)	Fails	All cars	Advisories	All cars
3 years	19,720	2.3	2.9	0.3	0.7
4 years	29,251	2.6	3.1	0.4	1.0
5 years	37,978	3.3	3.7	0.5	1.3
6 years	47,381	4.9	4.7	0.5	1.9
7 years	55,377	5.9	5.8	0.5	2.5
8 years	63,872	6.6	7.3	0.6	3.4
9 years	70,828	7.0	9.2	0.5	4.5
10 years	71,930	7.2	11.2	0.7	5.9
11 years	56,179	8.0	13.3	0.8	7.5
12 years	34,619	8.7	15.4	1.0	9.3
13 years	13,891	9.7	17.0	1.1	10.8

Lights and electrics fail items at 10 years

Lights and electrics fail items on the Volkswagen Up at 10 years (n=71,930), per 100 MOTs, with all cars at the same age (n=9,049,507).
Item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars	Typical repair (estimate)
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	1.7	1.2	£10 to £47 per lamp
Headlamp aim: too low	1.5	1.2	£16 to £39 per car (rough guide)
Side/position light not working	1.4	2.4	£10 to £47 per lamp
Dipped headlight not working	1.0	1.7	£18 to £86 per lamp
Headlight aimed too high	0.7	0.8	£16 to £39 per car (rough guide)

Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.

What to check on a viewing

On the Volkswagen Up, the lights and electrics items testers fail most are registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps; headlamp aim: too low; side/position light not working.

With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.

Ask for the car's MOT history: a lights and electrics advisory that repeats from year to year has not been fixed. GOV.UK MOT history.

Questions

What are the common electrical and lighting problems on the Volkswagen Up?

At 10 years (71,930 MOTs), the lights and electrics fail items testers record most often are registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (1.7 per 100 MOTs), headlamp aim: too low (1.5 per 100 MOTs), side/position light not working (1.4 per 100 MOTs).

Does the Volkswagen Up have more electrical and lighting problems than other cars?

At 10 years it has 7.2 lights and electrics fails per 100 MOTs against 11.2 for all cars of the same age (4.0 fewer). It is above the all-car rate at 2 of the 11 ages with enough tests.

What does a lights and electrics repair cost on the Volkswagen Up?

For registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps, an independent garage estimate is £10 to £47 per lamp. This is a guide built from the national median garage labour rate and estimated labour hours, not a quote.

Electrical and lighting problems on other Volkswagen models

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.

The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.

Looking at a Volkswagen Up?

These figures describe the model, not the car in front of you. Found one you might buy? See what the VetTheCar Buying Report covers, or use the tools that work without a registration.

See a sample report Car tools · MOT fail rates by model · Compare models by MOT record

Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.

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