130,744 up! cars had an MOT in 2025. 79.7% passed first time, against 76.9% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 2.8 points better than comparable cars. Those registered from 2021 onwards pass as often as other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often up! cars of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 73.9% | +7.1 | 13,833 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 76.3% | +6.7 | 20,537 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 77.5% | +4.8 | 21,717 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 77.5% | +1.6 | 16,273 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 76.3% | −2.6 | 12,823 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 81.4% | −0.3 | 13,202 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 84.8% | +0.7 | 12,873 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 88.4% | +2.1 | 8,292 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 90.4% | +2.1 | 3,485 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 90.8% | +1.4 | 4,363 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 90.9% | +0.4 | 3,341 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
2.1% of up! MOTs failed on emissions and leaks, against 2.0% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 2.0% on body and structure, against 1.9%.
Against cars of the same age and mileage, in points: Under 30k: +2.2, 30–60k: +3.5, 60–90k: +3.5, 90–120k: +1.2, 120k+: −2.1.
Electrics are mostly newer cars (median 17,099 miles), so compare them with care.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 128,059 | 79.5% | 76.6% | +2.9 | 46,624 |
| Electric | 2,673 | 91.2% | 89.0% | +2.2 | 17,099 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The up! ranks 2 of 5.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Toyota Aygo | 163,434 | 83.4% | 81.5% | +1.8 | |
| 2. VW up! | 93,028 | 81.0% | 79.5% | +1.4 | |
| 3. Hyundai i10 | 144,670 | 79.1% | 80.8% | −1.7 | |
| 4. Kia Picanto | 107,422 | 79.4% | 82.2% | −2.7 | |
| 5. Fiat 500 | 212,496 | 71.9% | 79.7% | −7.8 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on up! cars in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 79.7% of 130,744 up! MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 76.9% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2012 to 2015: ahead (+1.6 to +7.1 points). 2016: behind (−2.6 points). 2017 to 2018: level (−0.3 to +0.7 points). 2019 to 2020: ahead (+2.1 to +2.1 points). 2021 to 2022: level (+0.4 to +1.4 points).
Going by 2025 MOT results, 2016. Those cars passed first time −2.6 points against comparable cars.
Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn: 1.5% of up! MOTs, against 1.0% for cars of the same age and mileage.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Fiat 500 passed 71.9% first time, −7.8 points against comparable cars. The up! passed 81.0%, +1.4 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the up!'s mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a VW up!: 14 recorded model names, from "UP" to trims such as "E-UP".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.