MOT fail rates by first-use year

2010 Volkswagen Passat MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2010 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 47,720 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 15 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 15 (n=9,972)36.9%

All cars at 15 years (n=5,591,675)41.6%

Difference−4.7 pts

MOT tests of 2010 cars, 2022 to 202547,720

What stands out

In 2025, at 15 years old, Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2010 failed 36.9% of MOTs (9,972 tests), 4.7 points below the 41.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 12 to 15 years old, the fail rate moved from 35.9% to 36.9%.
Volkswagen Passat cars first used a year earlier, in 2009, failed 35.9% at the same age of 15 years (11,329 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Passat at 15 years, is coil spring broken, at 6.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2010: 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 year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	12 years	35.9%	13,716	36.0%	−0.1 pts
2023	13 years	36.6%	12,678	38.3%	−1.7 pts
2024	14 years	37.3%	11,354	40.3%	−3.0 pts
2025	15 years	36.9%	9,972	41.6%	−4.7 pts

Most common faults at 15 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=46,183). 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 item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Coil spring broken	6.8	4.1
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	4.4	3.1
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	4.1	1.8
Driveshaft CV boot split	4.1	2.6
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault	3.3	0.7
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	2.9	1.7
Suspension arm bush worn	2.8	2.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.3	2.0
Side/position light not working Wear	2.2	5.8
Side repeaters: not working Wear	2.1	0.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=46,183). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	25.3	18.4
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	20.0	8.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.8	11.1
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.9	6.9
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.8	5.0
Coil spring: corroded	8.5	7.0
Shock absorber misting oil	8.0	4.2
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	7.4	3.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	7.2	9.8
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.9	9.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=46,183). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 15 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=46,183). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	94.9%	38.4%	43,831	42.0%	144,353 miles
Petrol	5.1%	32.8%	2,350	41.5%	101,654 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 15 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=46,183). At 15 years, Volkswagen Passat cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (40.1%, n=19,734) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (32.3%, n=3,508). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	32.3%	3,508	40.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	37.3%	8,641	45.1%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	39.2%	12,981	45.9%
Over 150,000 miles	40.1%	19,734	45.3%

Car tax rules for a 2010 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 first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2010 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
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 Passat

2009 Volkswagen Passat 2011 Volkswagen Passat

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2010

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2010)	15 years in 2025	37.3%	42,225	41.6%
Volkswagen Polo (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.5%	36,284	41.6%
Volkswagen Fox (2010)	15 years in 2025	48.7%	6,890	41.6%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2010)	15 years in 2025	37.5%	6,352	41.6%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2010)	15 years in 2025	38.4%	5,871	41.6%
Volkswagen Touran (2010)	15 years in 2025	42.1%	4,611	41.6%
Volkswagen Beetle (2010)	15 years in 2025	45.9%	2,044	41.6%
Volkswagen Eos (2010)	15 years in 2025	38.4%	1,794	41.6%

More on the Volkswagen Passat

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 2010 Volkswagen Passat 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.