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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2015 Volkswagen Jetta MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Jetta cars first used in 2015 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 4,616 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 10 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 10 (n=1,063)28.0%
All cars at 10 years (n=9,049,507)30.3%
Difference−2.3 pts
MOT tests of 2015 cars, 2022 to 20254,616

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 10 years old, Volkswagen Jetta cars first used in 2015 failed 28.0% of MOTs (1,063 tests), 2.3 points below the 30.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 7 to 10 years old, the fail rate moved from 24.8% to 28.0%.
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Jetta at 10 years, is coil spring broken, at 7.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.2).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Jetta cars first used in 2015: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
20227 years24.8%1,23920.6%+4.1 pts
20238 years26.8%1,18223.8%+3.1 pts
20249 years28.6%1,13227.1%+1.5 pts
202510 years28.0%1,06330.3%−2.3 pts

Most common faults at 10 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Jetta MOTs (first used 2006 or later) at 10 years: cars first used 2012 to 2015, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,512). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Coil spring broken7.83.2
Suspension arm bush worn5.41.4
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.82.7
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2.20.6
Tyre with cords exposed Wear2.11.4
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear1.92.1
Side/position light not working Wear1.82.4
Handbrake too weak1.61.0
Headlamp aim: too low Wear1.61.2
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault1.60.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,512). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear17.017.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened12.59.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement8.05.8
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear7.88.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear7.58.1
Coil spring: corroded5.92.9
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened3.50.9
Service brake performance: binding but not excessively2.91.3
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear2.82.2
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view2.72.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=4,512). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 10 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Jetta MOTs (first used 2006 or later) at 10 years: cars first used 2012 to 2015, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,512). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel89.8%31.9%4,05031.4%87,992 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 10 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Jetta MOTs (first used 2006 or later) at 10 years: cars first used 2012 to 2015, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=4,512). At 10 years, Volkswagen Jetta cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (31.6%, n=1,055) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (30.7%, n=1,530). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles30.7%1,53031.9%
90,000 to 120,000 miles31.6%1,05535.3%

Car tax rules for a 2015 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Diesel cars usually meet Euro 6 when first registered from September 2015. A 2015 diesel can be on either side of that date, so the Euro standard of that car decides.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volkswagen Jetta

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2015

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2015)10 years in 202518.1%67,27430.3%
Volkswagen Polo (2015)10 years in 202528.1%51,48530.3%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2015)10 years in 202525.1%19,88730.3%
Volkswagen up! (2015)10 years in 202522.4%16,32730.3%
Volkswagen Passat (2015)10 years in 202522.9%15,28830.3%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2015)10 years in 202526.3%5,39130.3%
Volkswagen Touareg (2015)10 years in 202523.0%4,12530.3%
Volkswagen Touran (2015)10 years in 202527.6%3,84930.3%

More on the Volkswagen Jetta

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2015 Volkswagen Jetta cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

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 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.