88.7%
Volkswagen T-Cross pass rate
Used Volkswagen T-Cross buying guide
In 2025, Volkswagen T-Cross cars passed 88.7% of 31,210 initial MOT tests, 16.4 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific T-Cross? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volkswagen T-Cross MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+16.4
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the T-Cross sits 58th of 575 models in the data. Volkswagen as a brand averaged 73.1%, so this model runs 15.6 points ahead of its own brand. Volkswagen T-Cross cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 80.8%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Volkswagen T-Cross MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the T-Cross compares with similar cars.
T-Cross fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Volkswagen T-Cross cars tested in 2025. Diesel made up just 1.7% of tests.
Where the T-Cross fails its MOT
Where Volkswagen T-Cross cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (16.3%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (10.8%) and track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (7.4%). See every common T-Cross MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Volkswagen T-Cross that failed, not a claim that every T-Cross has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used T-Cross?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
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. 30.7% of T-Cross failure items.
2
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 28.7% of T-Cross failure items.
3
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. 11.4% of T-Cross failure items.
4
Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly. 9.2% of T-Cross failure items.
5
Steering
Feel for play, knocking or stiffness in the steering, and check there is no steering warning light. 8.9% of T-Cross failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Volkswagen T-Cross failures cluster around tyres and brakes tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact T-Cross you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Volkswagen history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Volkswagen models
The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the T-Cross.
- Used Volkswagen Golf 75.1% MOT pass rate
- Used Volkswagen Polo 67.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Volkswagen Transporter 68.3% MOT pass rate
- Used Volkswagen Tiguan 81.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Volkswagen Passat 71.5% MOT pass rate
- Used Volkswagen Caddy 68.4% MOT pass rate
See all 31 Volkswagen models ranked by MOT pass rate.
Used Volkswagen T-Cross FAQs
Is the Volkswagen T-Cross 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 an 88.7% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen T-Cross across 31,210 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Volkswagen T-Cross cars fail their MOT more often?
Volkswagen T-Cross cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 88% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 80.8%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen T-Cross?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, brakes and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Volkswagen T-Cross'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.
MOT figures are 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.