MOT fail rates
Volkswagen Beetle MOT fail rate by age
How often the Volkswagen Beetle fails its MOT at each age, compared with all cars of the same age, and what it fails on. From 180,577 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 18 years, the most tested age
217 of 238 model groups with enough tests fail less often at 18 years.
What stands out
- At 5 years the Volkswagen Beetle fails 19.8% of MOTs (2,430 tests), 4.5 points above the 15.3% for all cars that age. At 24 years it fails 48.2% (1,576 tests), 10.4 points above the 37.8% average.
- The gap is widest at 24 years: 10.4 points above all cars.
- Its most common structural or mechanical fail item at 18 years: Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, at 9.3 per 100 MOTs.
MOT fail rate by age
Solid line: this model. Dashed line: all cars at the same age.
| Age | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars | Difference | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 19.8% | 2,430 | 15.3% | +4.5 pts | 27,374 miles |
| 6 years | 23.0% | 4,727 | 17.8% | +5.2 pts | 34,527 miles |
| 7 years | 25.7% | 7,971 | 20.6% | +5.0 pts | 41,414 miles |
| 8 years | 28.0% | 10,722 | 23.8% | +4.3 pts | 48,874 miles |
| 9 years | 30.8% | 13,664 | 27.1% | +3.7 pts | 56,425 miles |
| 10 years | 32.3% | 13,620 | 30.3% | +2.0 pts | 62,645 miles |
| 11 years | 34.1% | 11,040 | 33.3% | +0.8 pts | 68,566 miles |
| 12 years | 35.6% | 9,636 | 36.0% | −0.4 pts | 72,708 miles |
| 13 years | 40.4% | 7,065 | 38.3% | +2.1 pts | 76,473 miles |
| 14 years | 46.8% | 7,324 | 40.3% | +6.6 pts | 81,392 miles |
| 15 years | 49.4% | 9,879 | 41.6% | +7.8 pts | 86,365 miles |
| 16 years | 49.2% | 11,134 | 42.6% | +6.6 pts | 91,049 miles |
| 17 years | 49.6% | 12,823 | 43.1% | +6.5 pts | 95,108 miles |
| 18 years | 50.9% | 14,351 | 43.3% | +7.6 pts | 98,943 miles |
| 19 years | 51.2% | 13,764 | 43.2% | +8.0 pts | 101,177 miles |
| 20 years | 50.3% | 11,259 | 42.8% | +7.5 pts | 103,135 miles |
| 21 years | 51.7% | 8,665 | 42.1% | +9.6 pts | 104,015 miles |
| 22 years | 51.0% | 5,918 | 41.0% | +10.0 pts | 102,817 miles |
| 23 years | 49.0% | 3,009 | 39.6% | +9.3 pts | 100,984 miles |
| 24 years | 48.2% | 1,576 | 37.8% | +10.4 pts | 96,698 miles |
Most common fail items at 18 years
Split into structural or mechanical items and wear items. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.
Structural and mechanical
| Fail item | Per 100 MOTs |
|---|---|
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Major | 9.3 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Major | 7.4 |
| Coil spring broken Major | 5.2 |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Major | 5.1 |
| Driveshaft CV boot split Major | 5 |
Out of 14,351 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Wear and upkeep
| Fail item | Per 100 MOTs |
|---|---|
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Major | 8.3 |
| Wipers not clearing screen Major | 6.9 |
| Side/position light not working Major | 5.3 |
| Brake light not working Major | 4.9 |
| Dipped headlight not working Major | 4.7 |
Out of 14,351 MOTs. A test with two faults counts twice.
Other models at 18 years
| Model | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Golf | 44.9% | 109,892 | 43.3% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 50.6% | 77,718 | 43.3% |
| Volkswagen Passat | 42.2% | 21,985 | 43.3% |
MOT fail rate by first-use year
Each year has its own page: the fail rate for cars first used that year at each MOT from 2022 to 2025 with at least 1,000 tests, the most common faults at that age, and the car tax and ULEZ rules for that year.
First-use year data updated .
| First used | Age at test | MOT fail rate | Tests (n) | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 23 years in 2024 | 49.5% | 1,031 | 39.6% |
| 2002 | 22 years in 2024 | 51.3% | 1,232 | 41.0% |
| 2003 | 22 years in 2025 | 49.5% | 2,084 | 41.0% |
| 2004 | 21 years in 2025 | 51.0% | 2,812 | 42.1% |
| 2005 | 20 years in 2025 | 47.4% | 2,519 | 42.8% |
| 2006 | 19 years in 2025 | 50.7% | 2,525 | 43.2% |
| 2007 | 18 years in 2025 | 52.2% | 2,554 | 43.3% |
| 2008 | 17 years in 2025 | 50.4% | 2,139 | 43.1% |
| 2009 | 16 years in 2025 | 46.5% | 1,695 | 42.6% |
| 2010 | 15 years in 2025 | 45.9% | 2,044 | 41.6% |
| 2012 | 13 years in 2025 | 34.3% | 2,297 | 38.3% |
| 2013 | 12 years in 2025 | 34.2% | 4,466 | 36.0% |
| 2014 | 11 years in 2025 | 33.5% | 3,615 | 33.3% |
| 2015 | 10 years in 2025 | 31.9% | 3,272 | 30.3% |
| 2016 | 9 years in 2025 | 28.8% | 2,296 | 27.1% |
| 2017 | 8 years in 2025 | 27.7% | 1,522 | 23.8% |
More on the Volkswagen Beetle
Looking at one Volkswagen Beetle?
These are figures for the model, not for one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at a single car: its MOT tests, defects, advisories and mileage readings.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 22 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources