2022 Volkswagen Crafter CR35 Trendline TDI 2.0L Diesel · VA22 MOV

With a 2026 mileage reading of 187,362 miles against a four-year-old chassis, this Crafter presents a heavy commercial use profile that immediately places it in the high-wear category for its class. The 2026-07-10 test entry is a single visit that produced both a pass certificate and a recorded failure on the same day, an administrative outcome where the vehicle was inspected, initially failed on two items, those items were rectified on-site or shortly after, and a separate pass was then issued. The only other recorded test in 2025-06-17 returned a clean pass with no advisories. The current mechanical picture is therefore narrowly defined: one recent episode involving the offside headlamp beam pattern and a split offside front outer CV boot, against an otherwise unblemished test ledger. There are no recorded advisories on suspension, braking, corrosion, structure, emissions, or tyres, which is unusual for a vehicle of this age and workload, and this absence should be treated as simply what the records show rather than a broader indicator of underlying condition. Annual mileage of roughly 46,840 miles is at the upper end of commercial Crafter operation and is consistent with long-distance trunking, delivery fleet, or motorhome base use. The gap between the 2025-06-17 test and the 2026-07-10 test represents a single annual cycle rather than any extended off-road period, and the absence of intermediate test entries suggests continuous operation between inspections. At this accumulation rate, consumables such as front discs, pads, tyres, drive belts, and clutch components will have absorbed substantially more thermal and mechanical cycling than a lower-mileage van of the same age. The driveline, in particular the DMF and dual-mass flywheel area, the rear differential oil, and the EGR and DPF components of the TDI powertrain, will be approaching or past first replacement intervals, even though the MOT records do not specifically capture their internal condition. A prospective buyer should treat the recent headlamp failure and CV boot failure as the most concrete mechanical leads from the file, even though both are classed as easily rectifiable. The headlamp aim issue could stem from a dropped or refitted unit, a fatigued adjustment mechanism, or a cracked lens allowing moisture and beam distortion, so on inspection the offside lamp should be checked for condensation, secure mounting, and clean adjustment against a flat surface. The split offside front CV boot is a classic symptom of ageing rubber and high steering-angle mileage; the joint itself will have been ingesting dirt, so on a test drive listen for a rhythmic clicking or a gritty metallic whine from the front offside corner during full-lock turns, and feel for any vibration or shunt through the steering on acceleration. Given the high annual mileage, a thorough physical inspection and a diagnostic read-out are advisable even though the MOT record is largely uneventful. Specific items to probe include the condition of the front brake discs for lip and corrosion scoring, the rear brake shoes and adjusters, the front lower control arm bushes and anti-roll bar drop links for splitting, the rear leaf spring shackles and hangers, and the underbody and chassis rails for any surface corrosion that would warrant closer assessment. The clutch take-up point, gearbox synchro behaviour on column or floor shift, and any signs of turbo whistle or DPF regeneration cycles should be evaluated on a sustained road run, while a compression or leak-off test on the TDI engine would help confirm internal health that the MOT cannot reveal. The recent CV boot repair should be accompanied by evidence that the joint was inspected and greased rather than simply re-booted, as a contaminated CV joint will fail within a relatively short mileage window.