Honest John Vans has crunched Government data to uncover the UK’s most reliable vans for passing the first MoT at three years.
The Mercedes-Benz Vito is the best van for passing the first MoT, according to Government figures obtained by Honest John Vans. The van advice website analysed millions of MoT pass and failure rates from the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) to uncover the best vans for passing the first test at three years.
The Vito panel van came out on top with eight out of ten sailing through the test without problem. Fiat has the highest overall pass rate across all models and ages (67%), while Toyota is second with an average pass rate of 65%. Volkswagen has the third highest pass rate, with 64% of all vans passing the MoT.
On average, almost 25% of vans fail the first MoT at three years, with lighting, brakes and tyres among the most-common failure points.
Top five vans for passing the first MoT
Mercedes-Benz Vito – 79% MoT pass rate
The Vito is the best panel van for passing the first MoT with an impressive 79% pass rate. Failures for lighting, electrical equipment and suspension are all notably lower than average, which means a plumber can be rest assured that a three-year-old Vito will not empty their bank account on MoT test day.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – 79% MoT pass rate
The Sprinter misses out on the top spot by the smallest of percentage margins. However, the big Mercedes impresses with consistently high pass rates across the board with almost eight out of ten passing the MoT at the first time of asking. The Sprinter does have a poorer score when it comes to suspension, but this probably has more to do with the fact that some drivers overload their vans, rather than an inherent problem with the vehicle itself.
Volkswagen T5 Transporter – 78% MoT pass rate
Another German van and another high MoT score. This time it’s the T5 Transporter, with its 78% pass rate demonstrating that premium panel vans are sometimes worth paying that little bit extra for. Tyre problems are rare for Transporter drivers, with Volkswagen’s pass rate being almost 30% higher than average for a three-year-old van.
Ford Transit Connect – 78% MoT pass rate
The Transit Connect is a great all-rounder with its car-like interior, low running costs and practical load area making it a popular van with plumbers. Ford’s status is strengthened by some excellent MoT scores, with the Connect performing 10% better than average. Lighting, suspension and brakes all get high marks, with only tyre wear – 42% worse than other 2014 vans – being the only blot on the otherwise excellent MoT report card.
Volkswagen Caddy – 78% MoT pass rate
As you might have noticed, German vans appear to be the best when it comes to scoring a pass at the first MoT. The Volkswagen Caddy is just half a percentage point behind the Ford, with its tyre wear letting it down slightly. Tyres aside, the Caddy is a strong van at the MoT with its 2.7% failure rate on brakes being 50% better than average for a three-year-old van.
What do vans fail the first MoT on?
Lighting – 37,000 yearly failures
Driver’s view of the road – 14,000 yearly failures
Brakes – 13,000 yearly failures
Tyres – 10,000 yearly failures
Suspension – 7,000 yearly failures
