The picture
Arteon: a strong MOT record by UK norms
Across 6,624 MOT tests, the Arteon returns 88.3% first-time pass — comfortably ahead of the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a tyre with the cords showing. A seriously damaged tyre and windscreen damage round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 43,154, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A tyre cords visible or damaged
184 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 02
A tyre seriously damaged
176 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
127 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
104 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 05
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
83 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 06
A tyre seriously damaged
72 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
- 07
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
67 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 08
A tyre seriously damaged
35 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 09
An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction
32 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
- 10
Wiper blade defective
31 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£120–£190
If every one of this Arteon's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Buying or keeping a Arteon?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Arteon and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.