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Volkswagen Scirocco, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

43,708 Volkswagen Sciroccos are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 68.4% of initial MOT tests, 3.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Scirocco? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Volkswagen Scirocco at the MOT

68.4% of 45,864 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Scirocco 378th of 575 models. Volkswagen Sciroccos aged 6 to 10 years passed 76.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 63.2%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Volkswagen Scirocco68.4%
  • All Volkswagen modelsThe Scirocco is 4.7 pts behind73.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Volkswagen Scirocco tests in 2025.

  • 6 to 10 years17,902 tests76.6%
  • 11 years and over27,958 tests63.2%

Where Sciroccos fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Volkswagen Scirocco tests in 2025.

  • Suspension25.9%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment22.2%
  • Tyres16.5%
  • Brakes16.4%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks6.1%

The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (7.2%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.5%) and position lamp not working (4.1%).

The MOT page lists every common Scirocco MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Volkswagen Scirocco MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Scirocco's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.25.9% of Scirocco failure items

  2. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.22.2% of Scirocco failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.16.5% of Scirocco failure items

Volkswagen Sciroccos in the UK

43,708 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 16% since the end of 2014, although it peaked at 52,267 at the end of 2018.

Change since 2014
+16%from 37,720 licensed
Typical year of first use
2013half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2013 or earlier
First registered in 2025
2against 6,045 in 2015
Declared off the road
5,04310% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Volkswagen Sciroccos since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201437,720
End of 201542,796
End of 201647,641
End of 201752,183
End of 201852,267
End of 201951,315
End of 202050,378
End of 202150,016
End of 202249,365
End of 202347,848
End of 202446,317
End of 202544,764
End of June 202643,708

How old they are

Licensed Volkswagen Sciroccos by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 648 were first used before 1999.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
2018624677
20174,5184,950
20165,1225,728
20155,3596,045
20143,709
20134,260
20124,130
20115,519
20105,410
20094,297
2008771
20070
20060
20050
20049
20032
20020
20010
20000
19991

5,359 Sciroccos first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 89% of the 6,045 first registered that year.

Scirocco engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 78% of Volkswagen Scirocco MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.4 litre at 20%. Diesel accounts for 56% of licensed Sciroccos and petrol for 44%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 45,854 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre78.2%
  • 1.4 litre19.9%
  • 1.8 litre1.1%

Fuel type, licensed Sciroccos

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol19,09244%
Diesel24,61656%

Volkswagen Scirocco recalls

5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Scirocco. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Scirocco is affected.

  1. Mar 2018 R/2018/062

    Starter motor may malfunction and overheat

    Sciroccos built Mar 2011 to Nov 2011 · 16,625 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On vehicles with diesel engines and stop/start system the starter motor may be permanently activated because the return spring in the solenoid switch is bent or broken. If the permanent current supply to the starter motor is not noticed overheating of the component with local scorching damage and a vehicle fire is possible.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the solenoid switch.

  2. Jun 2017 R/2017/189

    ABS/ESC system may fail

    Sciroccos built Jun 2008 to May 2010 · 64,192 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On vehicles with ABS/ESC the earth connection may be interrupted. This may cause failure of the ABS/ESC system
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles install new software. Where necessary a new ABS/ESC control unit will be fitted.

  3. Mar 2017 R/2017/079

    Airbag/belt tensioners may not trigger in event of an accident

    Sciroccos built May 2016 to Oct 2016 · 3,879 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to an error in the manufacturing process the air bag and/or seat belt pretensioner may not trigger in the event of a collision
    Remedy
    On affected vehicles replace air bag assembly and seatbelt pretensioner where necessary.

  4. Dec 2011 R/2011/169

    Fuel may leak

    Sciroccos built Jan 2009 to Dec 2011 · 33,719 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On 2.0l Common Rail engines of a limited production period faulty material can cause leaks on the high pressure pipes during the service life of the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Anti-vibration balance weights will be fitted on the high-pressure pipes.

  5. Dec 2009 R/2009/110

    Clutch may operate inadvertently with unexpected loss of drive

    Sciroccos built Sep 2008 to Aug 2009 · 3,514 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    In rare cases an incorrect interpretation of the clutch temperature can occur which results in the clutch opening unexpectedly with loss of drive.
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and update/reprogramme gearbox control unit.
How to check a specific Scirocco for recalls

Other Volkswagen models

The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, against the Scirocco's 68.4% MOT pass rate.

All 31 Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Scirocco FAQs

How many Volkswagen Sciroccos are there in the UK?

43,708 Volkswagen Sciroccos were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,043 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Volkswagen Scirocco reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 68.4% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen Scirocco across 45,864 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Volkswagen Scirocco had any recalls?

5 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Scirocco. The most recent was published in March 2018. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen Scirocco?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Volkswagen Scirocco's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Scirocco?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volkswagen history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volkswagen VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.