Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 3,647 tests analysed

Volkswagen Touareg 2016: reliability & common MOT faults

790 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Rear fog lamp was the most common reason a 2016 Touareg failed its MOT — 20.6% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

78.3%

of 3,647 first tests (2025)

First tests

3,647

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

790

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

78.3%

of 3,647 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

81.1%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

3,647

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 9.0 yrs · median mileage 81,769 mi

vs 2024: +0.4 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

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.

Shares below are measured across the 790 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Rear fog lamp (rear) — 20.6% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 163 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 25× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. On this year it is also the commonest failure, so it answers both questions at once. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Headlamp levelling device (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Headlamps > Headlamp levelling device
 Front 22 ×27 2.8% Possible
Rear fog lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Front and rear fog lamps > Rear fog lamp > Rear fog lamp
 Rear 163 ×25 20.6% Strong
SRS malfunction indicator lamp
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > SRS malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 21 ×2.8 2.7% Possible
Coil spring (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Rear 114 ×2.7 14.4% Possible
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 67 ×2.5 8.5% Possible
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 89 ×2.3 11.3% 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.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Nothing separates this year from the Touaregs either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2016 Touaregs, commonest first.

Other Touareg years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2018 Touareg +4.5 pp better 84.3% 1,486
2020 Touareg +4.1 pp better 91.5% 1,857
2017 Touareg -5.4 pp worse 76.0% 3,128
2019 Touareg -4.2 pp worse 83.7% 2,730

What to check on a 2016 Touareg

The items that failed 2016 Touaregs most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Rear fog lamp — recorded on 20.6% of failed first attempts
  • Coil spring (rear) — recorded on 14.4% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 8.5% of failed first attempts
  • Tyres — Condition (front) — recorded on 8.4% of failed first attempts
  • Tread depth (rear) — recorded on 6.6% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

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

Rear fog lamp was the most common reason a 2016 Touareg failed its MOT — 20.6% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 78.3% of 3,647 first MOTs on the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 81.1%. Among 790 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Rear fog lamp (rear) appears more often than on si…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2016 Volkswagen Touaregs most often at the first attempt were Rear fog lamp (20.6%), Coil spring (rear) (14.4%) and Malfunction indicator lamp (8.5%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults table ans…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Rear fog lamp (rear) (20.6% of those tests; 163 observed failures; about 25× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Rear fog lamp (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (20.6% of those tests; 163 observed failures; about 25× more often than similar cars). 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 2016 Volkswagen Touareg include Rear fog lamp (rear), Headlamp levelling device (front), SRS malfunction indicator lamp. 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.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2016 Volkswagen Touareg (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.

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.

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