Model Reports 8 min read Updated 13 Jul 2026

Volkswagen Up 2014: reliability & common MOT faults

On the 2014 Volkswagen Up, MOT failures for Fuel cap/sealing device and Service brake imbalance (rear) show up more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. Figures come from UK DVSA open data for tests in 2025 (4,782 failed first-attempt tests). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Sample

4,782 failed first-attempt tests · 21,144 first tests (test year 2025)

Standout pattern

Fuel cap/sealing device — about 20× more often than on similar cars.

What to check

  • Fuel cap/sealing device — about 20× more often than similar cars (289 observed failures)
  • Service brake imbalance (rear) — about 6.1× more often than similar cars
  • Parking brake control — Lever — about 4.7× more often than similar cars

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Based on 4,782 failed first-attempt tests in 2025.

Fuel cap/sealing device

This failure pattern appears about 20× more often than on similar cars — recorded on 289 failed first-attempt tests; 6.0% of failed tests for this model year.

Any 289 failures ×20 6.0% of failed first tests Strong

Service brake imbalance (rear)

This failure pattern appears about 6.1× more often than on similar cars — recorded on 193 failed first-attempt tests; 4.0% of failed tests for this model year.

Rear 193 failures ×6.1 4.0% of failed first tests Strong

# Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
1 Fuel cap/sealing device
Body, chassis, structure > Fuel system > Fuel cap/sealing device
 Any 289 ×20 6.0% Strong
2 Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 193 ×6.1 4.0% Strong
3 Parking brake control — Lever
Brakes > Parking brake control > Lever
 Any 153 ×4.7 3.2% Likely
4 Catalyst emissions
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Spark ignition > Catalyst emissions
 Any 494 ×4.0 10.3% Likely
5 Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 352 ×3.1 7.4% Likely
6 Registration plate lamp(s) (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Registration plate lamp(s)
 Rear 320 ×2.8 6.7% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

# Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
1 Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 255 ×2.6 5.3% Likely
2 Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Plate brake tester > Service brake performance
 Rear 42 ×2.1 0.9% Likely
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

We do not show a single reliability score for the 2014 Volkswagen Up on this page. Among 4,782 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Fuel cap/sealing device appears more often than on similar cars (about 20× more often than similar cars; 289 observed failures; 6.0% of failed tests). Treat this as a pre-purchase checklist from DVSA open data — not a guarantee for any individual car.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Fuel cap/sealing device (about 20× more often than similar cars; 289 observed failures; 6.0% of failed tests). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Fuel cap/sealing device shows up more often than on similar cars (about 20× more often than similar cars; 289 observed failures; 6.0% of failed tests). That does not prove a design fault — age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2014 Volkswagen Up include Fuel cap/sealing device, Service brake imbalance (rear), Parking brake control — Lever. These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2014 Volkswagen Up (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics — not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars — not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics — this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces — but does not remove — differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Most reliable Volkswagen models

See brand-wide MOT rankings and year guidance for Volkswagen (separate from this model-year report).