Fault File
All models / All cars / Coupés, convertibles & GT / Volkswagen Scirocco

Volkswagen Scirocco

All generations and engines together · 41,995 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 57k

Reliability verdict
DBy age
DBy miles

Graded against its peers

Worse than most coupés and convertibles, by age and by mileage. Watch suspension and wheels. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating suspension advisories before you go.

First-time failure at age 7
18.2%
Across 3,046 tests. The average for coupés and convertibles is 14.8%.
First-time failure at 50-60k miles
20.8%
Across 3,171 tests. The average for coupés and convertibles is 17.9%.
Rank in its class
16 of 19
1 = lowest failure rate among the 19 coupés and convertibles we can rank.
Typical mileage at age 7
57k miles
How far the average car has gone by seven years old. Low-mileage models can look better by age than they are.

What owners report

Reported

Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.

TSI engine trouble: timing chain rattle and lean-running pistons

Emerging

Both the 1.4 TSI and 2.0 TSI can suffer a stretched or failed timing chain well before you'd expect, sometimes taking valves and pistons with it. Ask Honest John has a 2.0 TSI failing at 39,000 miles, and other owners report full engine replacements from as early as 42,000 miles. VW has not issued a recall for this on the Scirocco, so any fix is at the owner's or dealer's discretion, and a rebuild or replacement engine runs into several thousand pounds.

Reported roughly 40-60k miles · sources: Ask Honest John, owner reports

DSG7 (DQ200) clutch judder and mechatronic failure

Confirmed patternDSG automatics only

Cars fitted with the 7-speed dry-clutch DSG (mainly the 1.4 TSI) can judder pulling away and shifting 1st to 2nd as the clutch pack glazes with heat, and in worse cases the mechatronic unit fails outright, dropping the car into limp mode or refusing to select gears. VW ran a global DSG recall in 2013 that named the Scirocco among affected models, for a gearbox control unit fault, but clutch pack wear keeps coming back on top of that, with owners reporting replacements from as little as 14,000 miles. A clutch pack is around £1,200; a full mechatronic unit is £1,500-£2,500 in parts alone before fitting.

Reported 14-65k miles · sources: sciroccocentral.co.uk forum, Ask Honest John (2013 DSG recall), eco-torque technical guide

Diesel DPF regenerating too often after the emissions fix

EmergingDiesel only

2.0 TDI cars had the compulsory VW emissions recall to cut real-world NOx. Several owners report the DPF then regenerates far more often than it should, in some cases every 150-200 miles, and the EGR valve can gunge up and trigger limp mode on top of that. It is a side effect reported after a mandatory fix rather than a separately acknowledged fault. A DPF or EGR clean or replacement runs from a few hundred pounds up to around £1,200.

Reported after the 2016-on emissions recall · sources: Ask Honest John, owner reports

Clutch and dual-mass flywheel wearing out early

Disputed

On manual cars, some owners report the dual-mass flywheel and clutch going well short of the 80-100k miles you'd hope for, occasionally under 30,000 miles, with a bill from around £1,000 once the gearbox has to come out to do the job. It is genuinely disputed how much of this is a weak part versus hard driving on what is sold as a warm hatch with a sporty clutch, since plenty of cars go much further with no issue.

Reported from under 30k to 80k+ miles · sources: owner-reported reliability data, shared-drivetrain VW Group forums

Front suspension knocks and creaks

Partly in the MOT data

Owners report clonks and creaks from the front end, usually put down to drop links, top mounts or bushes wearing under the firm sports set-up and the big optional wheels. It fits with the measured MOT data for this segment, where suspension is the standout failure category for coupe-GT cars generally; the Scirocco's firm ride and large-wheel options are exactly the kind of thing that accelerates that wear.

Reported from around 60k miles, worse on big-wheel cars · sources: Honest John review (firm ride, large wheels), owner reliability reports

What to check on this car

Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.

Saveable checklist

From this model’s MOT record

The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.

Underneath, with a torchRuns high on this model Get down and look at the sills, the subframes and the rear suspension mounting points. Flaking scale and bubbling matter; light surface rust does not. On older cars this is the one check that finds the fault that scraps them.Recorded on 11.5% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%
DampersRuns high on this model Look for oil misting on the damper body behind each wheel, then push down hard on each corner of the car. It should settle in one bounce. A floaty or crashy ride on the test drive is the same fault felt from the driver's seat.Recorded on 9.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.3%
Bushes and ball jointsRuns high on this model Drive slowly over broken tarmac with the windows down and listen for clonks from either end. Back at the car, have someone rock the steering wheel while you rest a hand on each front wheel; play you can feel through the tyre is a worn joint.Recorded on 9.1% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 5.9%
Coil springsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the bottom coil of each spring; when springs snap it is usually there, and the break is visible. Step back and check the car sits level too. A dropped corner is often a broken spring.Recorded on 3.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 1.3%
WheelsRuns high on this model Look at each rim for kerb damage and check no wheel nuts are missing. A steering wheel that shimmies between 50 and 60 on the test drive often turns out to be a buckled or badly balanced wheel.Recorded on 2.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.6%
Leaks Look at the ground where the car usually stands, then glance under the engine after your test drive. Fresh drips of oil or coolant are the cheapest warning you will ever get about a car.Recorded on 2.4% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%
A binding brakeRuns high on this model After the test drive, hold the back of your hand near each wheel hub. One wheel running much hotter than the rest is a sticking caliper. A car that slows itself down when you lift off on a flat road is saying the same thing.Recorded on 1.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 0.7%

Worth doing on any used car

These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.

Tyres, all four Check the tread across the full width of each tyre, inner edge included, and look for cracking and mismatched brands. A set of decent tyres is £500 or more on most cars, which makes this the easiest money to take off a price. If the pressure warning light is on, budget for sensors too.Recorded on 22.3% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 20.1%
Pads and discsRuns high on this model Look through the wheel spokes at the brake disc. A pronounced lip on its outer edge, or a rusty and scored face, means discs and pads are due all round, a few hundred pounds on most cars. A haggling point rather than a reason to walk away.Recorded on 16.6% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 10.1%
Windscreen and wipers Scan the glass in daylight for chips, especially in the driver's line of sight where even a small one can fail the MOT. Run the washers and check the wipers clear without smearing.Recorded on 2.7% of tests at age 6-9 · class average 2.0%

Because of what owners report

Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.

Start it from cold if you can and listen for a rattle from the top of the engine for the first few seconds. A rattly start is the classic sign of a stretched timing chain, especially on TSI petrol cars.
On a DSG car, pull away gently from a stop and feel for judder or hesitation around 1st-2nd gear. Judder here points to a glazed DQ200 clutch pack, an expensive fix even if it's not yet in limp mode.
Check the service history for DSG oil and filter changes roughly every 40,000 miles. Skipped DSG servicing is the fastest way to a mechatronic failure.
On a diesel, ask when it last needed a forced DPF regeneration and check the MOT history for emissions advisories. Frequent regens or repeat emissions notes suggest the DPF/EGR is struggling, often after the mandatory emissions fix.
Push down hard on each corner and drive over a rough patch of road listening for knocks from the front. Clonks point to worn drop links, top mounts or bushes, a common and recurring bill on this car.
On a manual, check the clutch bite point and listen for a howl in reverse on an incline. A high or vague bite point and reverse howl can mean the clutch or dual-mass flywheel is on its way out.
Run a free DVSA recall check against the registration before you view the car. Confirms whether the 2013 DSG recall and the emissions recall have actually been done.

Open the saveable checklist, tick it off at the car

The MOT data

Measured

Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.

How this model wears

Volkswagen SciroccoClass average, all tracked models

What testers flag

Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.

Faults with the car itself

The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 13,241 tests in this band.

A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded
Advisory
11.5%class 0.7%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Advisory
9.6%class 2.3%
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
Advisory
9.1%class 5.9%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Advisory
3.6%class 1.3%
A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting
Advisory
2.6%class 0.6%
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Fail
2.6%class 1.4%
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
Advisory
2.4%class 2.0%
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
Fail
1.8%class 0.4%
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
Advisory
1.6%class 0.7%
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
Fail
1.1%class 0.4%

Wear, upkeep and luck

Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Advisory
25.2%class 22.9%
A tyre seriously damaged
Advisory
17.0%class 13.4%
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
Advisory
16.6%class 10.1%
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
Advisory
9.7%class 8.7%
A tyre seriously damaged
Fail
4.1%class 2.5%
Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn
Advisory
3.6%class 3.4%
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
Fail
3.5%class 2.3%
Nail in tyre
Advisory
3.1%class 1.6%

Others in its class

Same segment (Coupés, convertibles & GT), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.

Bentley Continental4.5%Aston Martin Vantage5.2%Porsche 9115.7%Porsche Cayman6.2%Mercedes SL7.1%Porsche Boxster7.7%See all Coupés, convertibles & GTreliability ranked

How it compares

Head to head with the other popular cars in its class on reliability and common faults.

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