MOT fail rates by first-use year

2013 Volkswagen Passat MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2013 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 50,310 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 12 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 12 (n=11,712)32.7%

All cars at 12 years (n=7,303,151)36.0%

Difference−3.2 pts

MOT tests of 2013 cars, 2022 to 202550,310

What stands out

In 2025, at 12 years old, Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2013 failed 32.7% of MOTs (11,712 tests), 3.2 points below the 36.0% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 9 to 12 years old, the fail rate moved from 27.7% to 32.7%.
Volkswagen Passat cars first used a year earlier, in 2012, failed 34.1% at the same age of 12 years (14,075 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Passat at 12 years, is coil spring broken, at 5.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2013: 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	9 years	27.7%	13,290	27.1%	+0.6 pts
2023	10 years	29.4%	12,891	30.3%	−0.9 pts
2024	11 years	31.8%	12,417	33.3%	−1.4 pts
2025	12 years	32.7%	11,712	36.0%	−3.2 pts

Most common faults at 12 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,348). 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	5.4	3.9
Suspension arm bush worn	4.6	1.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	4.1	2.9
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	3.5	1.7
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.4	1.2
Airbag (SRS) warning light on	2.4	0.5
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.3	2.1
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault	2.0	0.7
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	1.7	1.5
Side repeaters: not working Wear	1.7	0.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=57,348). 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	23.7	18.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	18.6	7.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.3	10.4
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.2	7.6
Shock absorber misting oil	5.8	3.8
Coil spring: corroded	5.6	4.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.5	8.9
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	5.1	1.7
Anti-roll bar link ball joint: slight play	4.3	1.9
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	4.1	2.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=57,348). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 12 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,348). 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	97.7%	34.5%	56,051	36.9%	131,136 miles
Petrol	2.3%	26.1%	1,296	35.3%	80,392 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 12 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=57,348). At 12 years, Volkswagen Passat cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (37.1%, n=18,880) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (21.9%, n=1,796). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	21.9%	1,796	27.7%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	28.5%	7,147	36.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	33.9%	14,029	40.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	36.1%	15,040	41.2%
Over 150,000 miles	37.1%	18,880	41.3%

Car tax rules for a 2013 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 2013 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

2012 Volkswagen Passat 2014 Volkswagen Passat

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2013

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2013)	12 years in 2025	24.5%	54,533	36.0%
Volkswagen Polo (2013)	12 years in 2025	37.3%	38,521	36.0%
Volkswagen up! (2013)	12 years in 2025	23.6%	20,640	36.0%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2013)	12 years in 2025	28.9%	12,164	36.0%
Volkswagen Touran (2013)	12 years in 2025	31.4%	5,369	36.0%
Volkswagen Beetle (2013)	12 years in 2025	34.2%	4,466	36.0%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2013)	12 years in 2025	33.9%	4,324	36.0%
Volkswagen CC (2013)	12 years in 2025	30.3%	3,015	36.0%

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 2013 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.