Used comparison · 2025 DVSA data
Ford Kuga vs Volkswagen Tiguan
Both sold strongly as plug-in hybrids too, which adds a battery and finance dimension used.
Across 555,085 initial MOT tests in 2025, the Volkswagen Tiguan passed 83.85% against 83.58% for the Ford Kuga. That is close enough that the specific car matters far more than the badge.
Already found one of them?
Enter its registration to see finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history before you decide.
Head to head on the MOT record
| Measure | Ford Kuga | Volkswagen Tiguan |
|---|---|---|
| First-time MOT pass rate | 83.58% | 83.85% |
| Tests in 2025 | 304,554 | 250,531 |
| Average mileage at test | 66,562 | 68,460 |
| Average age at test | 8.2 years | 8.1 years |
| Most common fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Diesel share of tests | 73.28% | 69.5% |
The UK average across all cars in this data is 77.3%. The Ford Kuga sits above it by 6.3 points, and the Volkswagen Tiguan sits above it by 6.6 points.
Which one holds up better as it ages
This is the part that matters when you are buying used. A headline pass rate mixes three-year-old cars in with fifteen-year-old ones. Split by age, you can see what each model actually does over time.
| Age at test | Ford Kuga | Volkswagen Tiguan |
|---|---|---|
| 3 to 5 years | 91.84% | 90.64% |
| 6 to 10 years | 85.24% | 86.17% |
| 11 years and over | 72.43% | 71.26% |
Both models age at much the same rate, losing around 19.4 percentage points between the youngest and oldest brackets. Neither has an advantage worth paying for on this measure.
What each one fails on
These are the areas testers recorded most often across every failed 2025 test for each model. Read them as a viewing checklist for that model, not as a fault list for any particular car.
Ford Kuga
- Tyres 23.13%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 20.32%
- Brakes 19.22%
- Suspension 12.1%
- Visibility 9.11%
Share of all recorded failure items.
Full Ford Kuga failure detailVolkswagen Tiguan
- Suspension 34.88%
- Tyres 24.5%
- Brakes 14.49%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 8.51%
- Noise, emissions and leaks 5.26%
Share of all recorded failure items.
Full Volkswagen Tiguan failure detailThe Ford Kuga fails most often on tyres, the Volkswagen Tiguan on suspension. Two different things to check on a viewing, and two different conversations to have with the seller.
The specific items testers wrote down
One level deeper than the category. These are the individual defects recorded most often on each model.
Ford Kuga
- Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick
- Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
- Position lamp not working
Volkswagen Tiguan
- Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
- Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn
- Coil spring fractured or broken
What this comparison cannot tell you
Everything above describes two models across the whole UK fleet. It says nothing about the one car in the advert you are looking at. Two Kugas of the same year and mileage can be worth thousands apart because of things that never appear in MOT data:
- Outstanding finance. If a lender still has an agreement recorded against the car, that claim does not disappear because you paid the seller.
- Insurance write-off history. A Cat S or Cat N marker is permanent, changes what the car is worth, and does not appear on the V5C.
- Stolen markers. A car recorded as stolen can be seized even from a buyer who bought it honestly.
- Mileage history. The readings taken at every MOT are the clearest way to spot a clocked odometer.
- Previous keepers. An unusual number of keepers for the age of the car is worth asking about.
A Carpeep car history check reports all of those against the registration, plus tax status, import and export markers, scrapped status and the recorded vehicle identity, in one £15 report.
Check the car you are about to buy
One registration, one report. Finance, write-off, stolen, mileage, keepers, MOT and tax.
Read more on each car
- Buying a used Ford Kuga Buying guide, MOT record and what to check
- Buying a used Volkswagen Tiguan Buying guide, MOT record and what to check
Other comparisons with these cars
Ford Kuga vs Volkswagen Tiguan FAQs
Is the Ford Kuga or the Volkswagen Tiguan more likely to pass its MOT?
The Volkswagen Tiguan passed 83.85% of its initial MOT tests in the DVSA 2025 data against 83.58% for the Ford Kuga, a gap of 0.3 percentage points. That is a fleet-wide average, not a prediction about the specific car you are looking at.
Does a higher MOT pass rate mean a more reliable car?
No. An MOT records whether a vehicle met the roadworthiness standard on the day it was tested. It does not test the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it does not measure how often a car breaks down. Pass rates are useful for comparing how two models are holding up across the whole UK fleet, and nothing more than that.
Which is cheaper to keep on the road, the Ford Kuga or the Volkswagen Tiguan?
This data does not price servicing or repairs, so it cannot answer that directly. What it does show is what each model most often fails on, which is a fair guide to where the money goes. The Ford Kuga fails most often on tyres. The Volkswagen Tiguan fails most often on suspension.
How do I check the actual Volkswagen Tiguan I have found?
Enter its registration. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, insurance write-off markers, stolen markers, the mileage recorded at every MOT, previous keepers, tax and MOT status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report. None of that appears in model-level MOT statistics.
MOT figures aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.