Second Hand Volkswagen Up Door Hinge

The Volkswagen Up has been sold in one main generation from 2011 onwards, with a facelift arriving around 2016, so there is broadly one bodyshell throughout the car's UK life. Door hinges are side-specific and also differ between three-door and five-door versions, so you must match those details exactly. Whether the hinge design changed across the 2016 facelift is worth confirming with the breaker against your registration before buying.

Yes, this matters significantly — the front door on a three-door Up is longer than the front door on a five-door, so the hinges are not the same part. If you drive a five-door Up, you need a hinge from another five-door, and the same applies in reverse. Always tell the breaker your exact body style as well as your registration.

No — the engine fitted to your Up makes no difference to door hinge fitment, so a hinge from a 1.0 petrol Up is the same as one from any other engine variant of the same body style and generation. Trim levels such as Take Up, Move Up, High Up, and GTI do not change the hinge itself, though paint colour will differ and a used hinge may need respraying to match your car. Focus on matching generation, body style (3dr or 5dr), and side (NS or OS).

NS stands for nearside, which is the left-hand or passenger side of the car, and OS stands for offside, which is the right-hand or driver's side — this is standard UK convention used by breakers. You need to tell the breaker which door the hinge is for, so they can pull the correct side from a donor vehicle. Getting this wrong is an easy mistake, so double-check before ordering.

The 2016 facelift refreshed the Volkswagen Up's exterior styling, and while the underlying bodyshell remained closely related, it is not confirmed that door hinges interchange freely across that boundary. Name your registration to the breaker and ask them to check the hinge mounting points against the donor vehicle before agreeing a sale. This is the safest way to avoid buying a part that does not bolt up correctly.

Swapping a door hinge is a mechanical job that involves supporting the door's weight, removing the door trim if necessary, and realigning the door accurately afterwards — poor alignment can cause rattles, wind noise, or difficulty closing. Many home mechanics with basic tools can manage it, but if you are not confident with bodywork alignment it is worth having a garage or body shop handle the fitting. Either way, make sure you have confirmed the correct part before starting work.