Car guides

Volkswagen up!: common problems, best years and what to check

Clever, well-built city car; also the e-up! EV. Covers 2012–2023 cars: every popular engine, its known faults with typical UK repair costs, and how each year has held up on Britain's roads.

Updated November 2026 · By the Carnod team · How we build this guide

Is the Volkswagen up! a good used buy?

Best buy

1.0 MPI 75 manual or up! GTI

Avoid

ASG automatic

Who it suits: City drivers wanting a quality small car.

What's good

  • Feels well built
  • Roomy for a city car
  • Cheap to run
  • up! GTI is a gem

What's not

  • Slow on motorways
  • ASG gearbox is poor
  • Basic kit on Take up!
  • Discontinued

By the numbers

  • #65 most common model on UK roads, with about 130k licensed (DfT).
  • The biggest surviving year is 2014: 21.0k cars still licensed.
  • 2012 cars survive 19% better than comparable cars of that year.
  • 1.0 MPI uses a belt (lifetime-rated; inspect 100k+): budget £350–£550 if there's no invoice.
  • The most expensive common fault: ASG automated manual jerky (up to £1,000).

Volkswagen up! common problems by generation and engine

Volkswagen up! up! (2011–2023) · 3/5-door city car; GTI; e-up!

How to spot it: 12 plate to 23 plate. Tiny box with a glass tailgate; 2016 facelift has new bumpers and daytime lights.

1.0 MPI 60/75 (EA211 3-cyl, petrol, 2012–2023)

Simple, reliable

  • Coolant leaks£200–£40060k+

1.0 TSI (GTI) (EA211, petrol, 2018–2023)

Brilliant fun

e-up! (electric, electric, 2014–2023)

Good city EV

Faults on any up! (2011–2023) engine

  • ASG automated manual jerky£300–£1,000any

Costs are typical UK independent-garage prices including parts and labour. Main dealers usually charge more.

Best and worst Volkswagen up! years

How many Volkswagen up!s from each year are still licensed today (DfT), coloured by how well that year survives compared with similar cars of the same age.

survives better than similar carsabout averagesurvives worse

Years that outlast similar cars: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. No year falls off the road noticeably faster than similar cars.

Volkswagen up! MOT pass rate and common failures

First-time pass rate (2025)

79%

Average UK car of the same age

73%all makes, same ages as these Volkswagen up!s

MOT tests analysed (2012+ cars)

112,928

Volkswagen up!s pass their MOT first time 6 points more often than the average UK car of the same age (79% vs 73%). Older cars fail more, so we compare like with like.

First registeredPass rateAverage UK car that ageMedian mileage
201274%63%70k miles
201376%66%62k miles
201477%69%56k miles
201578%72%50k miles
201676%75%44k miles
201781%78%40k miles
201885%81%33k miles
201988%84%28k miles
202091%86%22k miles
202191%87%19k miles
202290%89%14k miles

Most common MOT failures

  1. Headlamp aim: too low1.97 per 100
  2. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1.97 per 100
  3. Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1.95 per 100
  4. Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively1.9 per 100
  5. Service brake performance: excessively binding1.68 per 100
  6. Position lamp: not working1.62 per 100
  7. Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps1.27 per 100
  8. Coil spring: fractured or broken1.13 per 100

Most common advisories

  1. Tyres: has a tear23.23 per 100
  2. Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm16.48 per 100
  3. Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn8.92 per 100
  4. Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened7.8 per 100
  5. Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3.54 per 100
  6. Service brake performance: excessively binding3.35 per 100
  7. Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn3.16 per 100
  8. Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded2.4 per 100

Source: DVSA anonymised MOT results for 2025 (normal car tests). First-time pass counts faults fixed during the test as fails. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Does the Volkswagen up! have a timing belt or chain?

EngineTypeWhenCost
1.0 MPIbeltlifetime-rated; inspect 100k+£350–£550

Volkswagen up! running costs

Road tax (from April 2017)

£200 a year; +£440 for years 2–6 if the list price was over £40,000 (£50,000 for electric cars).

Road tax (before April 2017)

CO2 band tax: £20 (band A–B, up to 110g/km) to £790 (band M). Most petrol and diesel versions sit in bands B–E, £20–£200 a year.

Insurance groups

1–10

Real-world economy

1.0 MPI: 50–58
e-up!: 4.0–5.0 mi/kWh

Servicing (independent)

Minor £120–£170 · Major £200–£300

Tyres

165/70 R14 · set of four £180–£280

Warranty when new

3 years / 60,000 miles

Is the Volkswagen up! ULEZ compliant?

  • Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.
  • Electric: always compliant.
  • Same standards apply in Birmingham and Bristol Clean Air Zones (which charge private cars) and Scotland's LEZs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee (which fine them). Check the exact car on TfL's vehicle checker.

Safety and practicality

Euro NCAP

up!: ★★★★★ (2011)

Boot

251 litres

Seats

4

Electric / hybrid

e-up! (2020): 32kWh, ~140 mi real range

Volkswagen up! vs rivals

ModelOn UK roadsInsuranceBootBest buy
Volkswagen up!130k1–10251 l1.0 MPI 75 manual or up! GTI
Skoda Citigo51k1–3251 l1.0 MPI 75 manual
Seat Mii———Guide coming soon
Hyundai i10269k1–7252 l2014+ i10 1.0/1.2 manual
Kia Picanto199k1–9255 l2017+ JA 1.0/1.25 manual
Toyota Aygo279k2–8168 l2014–2022 Mk2 1.0 manual

What to check when buying a used Volkswagen up!

  • Avoid ASG auto

Volkswagen up! FAQ

›Is the Volkswagen up! reliable?

Generally, if you pick the right version. Best buy: 1.0 MPI 75 manual or up! GTI. Avoid: ASG automatic.

›What is the Volkswagen up! MOT pass rate?

79% of Volkswagen up!s passed their MOT first time in 2025 (112,928 tests), better than the 73% average for cars of the same age. The most common failure: headlamp aim: too low.

›What are the most common Volkswagen up! problems?

The costliest known faults are Coolant leaks. Each one is listed by engine with typical UK repair costs above.

›Does the Volkswagen up! have a timing belt or chain?

1.0 MPI: belt.

›What is the best year Volkswagen up! to buy?

By DfT survival data, 2012, 2013, 2014 cars have outlasted comparable cars best. Condition and history still matter more than the year.

›How much does a Volkswagen up! cost to run?

Real-world economy: 1.0 MPI 50–58 mpg; e-up! 4.0–5.0 mi/kWh. Insurance groups 1–10. A minor service is about £120–£170 at an independent garage.

›How much is road tax on a Volkswagen up!?

Cars registered from April 2017 pay £200 a year (more if the list price was over £40k). Older cars pay by CO2 band, from £20 to £790.

›Is the Volkswagen up! ULEZ compliant?

Petrol and hybrid: compliant if Euro 4 — nearly all petrol cars from 2006, many from 2001.

How we build this guide

We combine official UK data with what independent garages see most often on this model.

  • How many are still on the road: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, by year first used. The survival comparison is against cars of the same age.
  • MOT pass rates, failures and mileage: DVSA anonymised MOT results — every normal car MOT in Great Britain for the year, compared with all cars of the same age.
  • Road tax: GOV.UK rates from April 2026. ULEZ: TfL and Clean Air Zone emission standards.
  • Faults and repair costs: known problems by engine code, priced at typical UK independent-garage rates including parts and labour.
  • Insurance groups, mpg, servicing and tyres: typical ranges, not quotes. Your car's exact figures depend on the version and where you live.

This is a buying guide, not a mechanical inspection. A specific car's MOT history tells you far more than any model average — run a free check on it before you go and see it.

Sources: licensed counts and survival from DfT vehicle licensing statistics; road tax from GOV.UK (April 2026 rates). Faults, costs, mpg and insurance groups are typical ranges, not quotes. A guide, not a mechanical inspection.