Skip advert
Advertisement
In-depth reviews

Volkswagen up! hatchback - Reliability & safety

The Volkswagen up! is a well built car and occupant safety is a priority

Carbuyer Rating

4.2 out of 5

Owners Rating

3.8 out of 5

Read owner reviews
Reliability & safety Rating

3.0 out of 5

The Volkswagen up! scored a five-star rating in its 2011 Euro NCAP test. Since then, Euro NCAP has made its tests more stringent and now places more emphasis on advanced safety systems, many of which aren’t available on the up!.

Volkswagen up! reliability

The Volkswagen up! is quite a simple car, so reliability should be good in theory. However, not enough results were returned for it to appear in the 75 cars ranked in our 2020 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey of cars currently on sale in the UK. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

The Volkswagen brand itself achieved a score of 19th out of 30 manufacturers. Owners generally didn’t like the interior design or exterior styling of their Volkswagens, and weren’t fans of the ride and handling either. Of the owners who responded, 26.2% reported experiencing a problem with their car at least once, but the most common cause of these issues was electrical gremlins.

The up!’s three-year/60,000-mile warranty is hardly class-leading (the Hyundai i10’s five-year/unlimited-mileage policy is better), but the car is relatively uncomplicated and uses tried-and-tested Volkswagen parts, which bodes well for the frequency and cost of any repairs.

Safety

The Volkswagen up! scored a full five-star crash safety rating in its 2011 Euro NCAP test. Since then, Euro NCAP has updated its testing regime, and gave the up!, Citigo and Mii a disappointing three-star score when they were retested in late 2019. A lack of now-essential safety kit like autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assist means the up! can’t match the four-star scores of rivals.

Naturally the up! still comes with mandatory equipment like electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes and a seatbelt reminder buzzer, as well as six airbags.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Top 10 best used small cars 2024
The best used small cars hero 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best used small cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap cars 2024
Top 10 best cheap cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap cars 2024

Top 10 best first cars for new drivers 2024
The best first cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best first cars for new drivers 2024

London ULEZ: what is the Ultra Low Emission Zone?
ULEZ Zone
Tips and advice
21 Aug 2023

London ULEZ: what is the Ultra Low Emission Zone?

Most Popular

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers
Carbuyer best new car deals hero
Deals
28 Mar 2024

Best new car deals 2024: this week’s top car offers

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Skoda Karoq review – it ticks all the family SUV boxes
Skoda Karoq SportLine
In-depth reviews
26 Mar 2024

Skoda Karoq review – it ticks all the family SUV boxes

Tips & advice

View All
Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide
Car dashboard symbols and meanings
Tips and advice
26 Mar 2024

Car dashboard warning lights: the complete guide

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide
Public EV charge point
Tips and advice
11 Jan 2023

Electric car charging stations: a complete guide

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?
PCP vs HP
Tips and advice
17 May 2022

PCP vs HP – which type of car finance is right for you?

Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Average speed cameras: how do they work?
Tips and advice
21 Mar 2024

Average speed cameras: how do they work?

Best cars

View All
Top 10 best car interiors
Peugeot 208 hatchback
Best cars
25 Jun 2021

Top 10 best car interiors

Top 10 best electric cars 2024
best electric cars
Best cars
28 Mar 2024

Top 10 best electric cars 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024
The best cheap-to-run cars 2023
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

Top 10 best cheap-to-run cars 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024
Fastest hot hatchbacks hero
Best cars
2 Jan 2024

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024