CarKept

The mileage where reliability falls off a cliff

The Volkswagen Multivan's MOT pass rate drops 41 percentage points between the 0-30k and 120k+ mileage bands — the steepest fall among models with enough data to compare.

98.5%
Volkswagen Multivan at 0–30,000 mi
57.2%
Same model at 120,000+ mi
−41 pts
the size of the drop

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“The Volkswagen Multivan's MOT pass rate falls from 98.5% to 57.2% between 0–30,000 mi and 120,000+ mi — a 41-point drop.”

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Steepest mileage-related pass-rate drops

MOT pass-rate drop from lowest to highest mileage band, by modelVolkswagen MultivanVolkswagen Multivan: 41 pts41 ptsNissan QashqaiNissan Qashqai: 40 pts40 ptsKia ProceedKia Proceed: 40 pts40 ptsSuzuki IgnisSuzuki Ignis: 40 pts40 ptsSuzuki CarrySuzuki Carry: 38 pts38 ptsHyundai Ix20Hyundai Ix20: 37 pts37 ptsKia VengaKia Venga: 37 pts37 ptsCitroen C3Citroen C3: 37 pts37 ptsFord PumaFord Puma: 37 pts37 ptsSuzuki Sx4Suzuki Sx4: 37 pts37 ptsRenault KoleosRenault Koleos: 37 pts37 ptsKia PicantoKia Picanto: 37 pts37 ptsCarKept · source: DVSA

Percentage-point drop from the lowest to the highest mileage band with enough data.

Volkswagen Multivan: pass rate by mileage

MOT pass rate by mileage band0–30,000 mi0–30,000 mi: 98.5%98.5%30,000–60,000 mi30,000–60,000 mi: 94.0%94.0%60,000–90,000 mi60,000–90,000 mi: 86.0%86.0%90,000–120,000 mi90,000–120,000 mi: 74.5%74.5%120,000+ mi120,000+ mi: 57.2%57.2%0–30,000 mi → 120,000+ mi: −41 pointsCarKept · source: DVSA

Every model in the ranking

Models ranked by MOT pass-rate drop across mileage bands
ModelDrop (points)FromToTests
Volkswagen Multivan41.30-30k120k+1,843
Nissan Qashqai40.30-30k120k+825,029
Kia Proceed40.20-30k120k+10,241
Suzuki Ignis39.70-30k120k+40,636
Suzuki Carry38.30-30k120k+5,449
Hyundai Ix2037.50-30k120k+38,952
Kia Venga37.40-30k120k+65,361
Citroen C337.30-30k120k+271,407
Ford Puma36.80-30k120k+96,367
Suzuki Sx436.80-30k120k+54,022
Renault Koleos36.80-30k120k+7,335
Kia Picanto36.70-30k120k+259,244
Mazda 236.50-30k120k+171,191
Nissan X-trail36.10-30k120k+138,844
Nissan Juke35.40-30k120k+459,368
Suzuki Swift34.80-30k120k+191,659
Honda Jazz34.60-30k120k+465,179
Toyota Aygo34.20-30k120k+359,583
Kia Soul34.00-30k120k+34,919
Citroen C133.80-30k120k+228,444

Methodology and data source

  • Source: DVSA “Anonymised MOT tests and results”, data.gov.uk, under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  • Coverage: Full year 2024, test class 4 (cars), normal (initial) tests only.
  • Mileage bands are built directly from each test's recorded odometer reading, not derived from vehicle age — a high-mileage 3-year-old and a low-mileage 15-year-old land in the same age band elsewhere on this site, but different mileage bands here.
  • The 'cliff size' league table only includes models where both the lowest and highest mileage bands used clear a higher sample floor than the per-band detail table below — a handful of tests at very high mileage can't anchor a headline comparison.
  • Blank or zero-mileage readings (DVSA's marker for no reading taken, e.g. an aborted test) are excluded rather than treated as zero miles.

Full methodology, filters, and sample thresholds →

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Frequently asked questions

Which car models' MOT pass rate drops most at high mileage?
The Volkswagen Multivan has the steepest drop among models with enough data: its MOT pass rate falls from its 0-30k figure to its 120k+ figure, a drop of 41.3 percentage points, based on 1,843 tests.
Is mileage or vehicle age the bigger factor in MOT failure?
Both matter, and they're correlated (older cars usually have covered more miles), but this data is banded directly on the odometer reading at test time, not derived from vehicle age — so it shows the mileage relationship specifically, for cars that may be any age.