2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT pass rate, common failures & what to check

In 2025, 78.5% of Volkswagen Touaregs first used in 2016 passed their MOT first time, against 74.9% for all cars first used in 2016. Across 11,562 Touareg first tests from 2023 to 2025, the most common failure areas were lamps and electrical equipment, tyres and suspension.

This page analyses first MOT tests for Volkswagen Touaregs first used in 2016 (all trims grouped): 2021 to 2025 for the pass-rate trend, and 2023 to 2025 for the failure and advisory analysis — plus what is worth checking before you buy one.

Data: DVSA anonymised MOT tests to December 2025 · Calculated by SortedCars · Updated October 2026

Passed first time, 2025
78.5%
of 3,819 first tests; all cars first used in 2016: 74.9%. Fixed-at-the-test counts as a fail
Tests analysed
11,562
first tests, 2023–2025; 3,819 in 2025
Clean pass, 2025
49.7%
of 3,819 first tests in 2025, passed with no advisory and no minor defect recorded
Typical mileage, tested in 2025
82,000
middle half: 66,000–98,500 miles; all cars first used in 2016: 67,500

How the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT pass rate has changed

Share of first tests passed in each year, Touaregs first used in 2016 against all cars first used in 2016 (any make or fuel; not adjusted for mileage, fuel or use). In 2025 the Touareg figure was 3.6 points higher.

2016 TouaregAll cars first used in 2016
70%80%90%20212022202320242025Test year (first tests)All cars first used in 2016, test year 2021: 82.7%All cars first used in 2016, test year 2022: 80.9%All cars first used in 2016, test year 2023: 78.6%All cars first used in 2016, test year 2024: 76.7%All cars first used in 2016, test year 2025: 74.9%2016 Touareg, test year 2021: 79.1%2016 Touareg, test year 2022: 79.1%2016 Touareg, test year 2023: 77.8%2016 Touareg, test year 2024: 78.1%2016 Touareg, test year 2025: 78.5%78.5%74.9%
View this chart as a table
Test year2016 TouaregAll cars first used 2016Touareg first tests
202179.1%82.7%3,963
202279.1%80.9%3,934
202377.8%78.6%3,890
202478.1%76.7%3,853
202578.5%74.9%3,819

Common 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT failures

Share of the 2,527 failed first tests (2023–2025) with at least one failure in each area. A test can fail in more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment50.1%
Tyres23.1%
Suspension17.6%
Brakes12.5%
Noise, emissions and leaks12.3%
Visibility7.5%
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2.6%

Most common failure items

DVSA failure itemShare of failed first testsTests
Rear fog lamp: not working36.1%912
Coil spring: fractured or broken16.9%428
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction8.3%211
Tread depth: below requirements of 1.6mm8.3%210
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords6.6%167

Item names are DVSA’s own wording. 2023–2025 combined.

Typical repair costs for common MOT failures

Typical UK garage prices for the job, not for a Touareg in particular, and not a quote.

Failure itemTypical jobTypical UK priceUsual range
Coil spring: fractured or brokenCoil spring replacement£248£175–£400

From published UK repair-cost guides, checked September 2026. Only jobs with a published typical price are shown.

What to check on a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg before buying

The three areas where failed first tests most often had a fault, 2023–2025.

  1. Lamps and electrics. Ask someone to watch while you work the brake lights, indicators, sidelights, dipped and main beam, and the number-plate lamps.
  2. Tyres. Worth checking the tread depth across the whole width of each tyre, and the sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
  3. Suspension. Worth looking behind the front wheels with a torch at the coil springs, and listening for knocks over bumps on the test drive.

Common 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT advisories

Advisories are points the tester noted that did not fail the car. Most common on 2016 Touaregs, as a share of all 11,562 first tests, 2023–2025.

DVSA advisory itemShare of first testsTests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge15.0%1,733
Brake pads: wearing thin10.9%1,259
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened4.8%551
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively3.5%399
Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt2.5%291

Questions about the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT

What is the MOT pass rate of a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg?

In 2025, 78.5% of Touaregs first used in 2016 passed their MOT first time, against 74.9% for all cars first used in 2016. A car fixed during the test counts as a fail.

What does a 2016 Touareg most often fail its MOT on?

Lamps and electrical equipment (in 50.1% of failed first tests, 2023–2025), tyres (23.1%) and suspension (17.6%). The single most common item was “Rear fog lamp: not working” (36.1%).

How often does a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg fail its MOT?

In 2025, 21.5% of first tests on Touaregs first used in 2016 did not pass first time: 18.7% failed, and a further 2.8% had a fault fixed during the test (counted as a fail here). Across 2023–2025, 2,527 of 11,562 first tests did not pass first time.

What are the most common 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT advisories?

“Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge” (on 15.0% of first tests, 2023–2025), “Brake pads: wearing thin” (10.9%), “Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened” (4.8%), “Brake discs: worn, but not excessively” (3.5%) and “Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt” (2.5%).

Is a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg reliable?

An MOT pass rate shows what failed at the test, not how reliable a car is. For this group of cars the first-time pass rate went from 79.1% in 2021 to 78.5% in 2025. For one particular car, its own MOT history matters more than the average.

Other cars first used in 2016

The most-tested cars from the same year. Each page uses the same method.

2016 Ford Fiesta MOT statistics · 2016 Vauxhall Corsa MOT statistics · 2016 Volkswagen Golf MOT statistics · 2016 Ford Focus MOT statistics · 2016 Nissan Qashqai MOT statistics

How the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg MOT data is calculated

Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test data for Great Britain, 2021–2025. “2016 Touareg” means a Volkswagen Touareg whose date of first use falls in 2016 (65, 16 and 66 plates), all trims grouped. Class 4 vehicles, first tests only — retests are not counted. Pass rate = passed ÷ all first tests; a car with a fault fixed during the test (PRS) counts as a fail. Our national first-test pass rate matches DVSA’s published figure (table DVSA/MOT/01) to within 0.04 points in every year. Clean pass = passed with no advisory and no minor defect recorded. Mileage is the reading recorded at the test. Comparisons are with all cars first used in 2016, any make or fuel, and are not adjusted for mileage, fuel or use. Failure and advisory item names are DVSA’s own wording. No figure is shown for fewer than 500 tests; an item is shown only if it appears on at least 50 tests and 1% of the base. Repair prices are typical UK prices for the job from published UK repair-cost guides, checked September 2026 — not for this model, and not a quote. Pass rates describe a group of cars, not one car: a well-kept example can pass and a neglected one can fail. This page is general information, not advice about any particular vehicle; always have a used car inspected before you buy. SortedCars is not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. You can check any car’s MOT history free on the official service: gov.uk/check-mot-history. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.