MOT fail rates by first-use year

2014 Volkswagen Passat MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2014 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 61,219 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 11 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 11 (n=14,594)30.4%

All cars at 11 years (n=8,087,514)33.3%

Difference−2.8 pts

MOT tests of 2014 cars, 2022 to 202561,219

What stands out

In 2025, at 11 years old, Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2014 failed 30.4% of MOTs (14,594 tests), 2.8 points below the 33.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 8 to 11 years old, the fail rate moved from 24.9% to 30.4%.
Volkswagen Passat cars first used a year earlier, in 2013, failed 31.8% at the same age of 11 years (12,417 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Passat at 11 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 4.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Passat cars first used in 2014: 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	8 years	24.9%	15,897	23.8%	+1.1 pts
2023	9 years	27.3%	15,641	27.1%	+0.1 pts
2024	10 years	28.3%	15,087	30.3%	−2.0 pts
2025	11 years	30.4%	14,594	33.3%	−2.8 pts

Most common faults at 11 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=61,025). 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
Suspension arm bush worn	4.9	1.7
Coil spring broken	4.3	3.6
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.9	2.8
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	3.4	1.6
Airbag (SRS) warning light on	2.5	0.5
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	2.4	0.9
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	2.1	2.1
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	1.7	1.3
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.5	1.3
Side/position light not working Wear	1.4	3.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=61,025). 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	23.0	17.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	18.1	6.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	12.3	10.0
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	9.2	7.8
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	5.8	1.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	5.4	8.7
Shock absorber misting oil	5.0	3.6
Coil spring: corroded	4.1	3.8
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	3.7	2.3
Anti-roll bar link ball joint: slight play	3.6	1.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=61,025). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 11 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=61,025). 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	98.3%	32.1%	59,985	34.3%	123,102 miles
Petrol	1.7%	23.8%	1,040	32.5%	71,551 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 11 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Passat MOTs at 11 years: cars first used 2011 to 2014, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=61,025). At 11 years, Volkswagen Passat cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (35.9%, n=17,036) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (20.7%, n=2,758). 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	20.7%	2,758	26.2%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	26.6%	9,785	34.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	31.9%	16,159	37.8%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	34.0%	14,698	38.8%
Over 150,000 miles	35.9%	17,036	39.1%

Car tax rules for a 2014 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 2014 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

2013 Volkswagen Passat 2015 Volkswagen Passat

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2014

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2014)	11 years in 2025	20.9%	64,030	33.3%
Volkswagen Polo (2014)	11 years in 2025	33.2%	44,444	33.3%
Volkswagen up! (2014)	11 years in 2025	22.5%	21,795	33.3%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2014)	11 years in 2025	28.0%	15,254	33.3%
Volkswagen Touran (2014)	11 years in 2025	27.8%	4,984	33.3%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2014)	11 years in 2025	31.4%	3,691	33.3%
Volkswagen Beetle (2014)	11 years in 2025	33.5%	3,615	33.3%
Volkswagen CC (2014)	11 years in 2025	29.0%	3,343	33.3%

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 2014 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.