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Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 14,351 MOT tests · Updated

At 18 years, 5.5 in 100 MOT tests of the Volkswagen Beetle failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.7 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 14,351 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails 1.9–2.1× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 783 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 14 years and at every older age seen
  • Most common fail: Airbag (SRS) warning light on, 3.7 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

5.5 fails per 100 MOT tests at 18 years, against 2.7 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 18 (all test years). The Volkswagen Beetle fails more often here.

Why it matters

A seat belts and airbags fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags fails by age

Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volkswagen Beetle. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02465 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 2,430 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 4,727 MOT tests7 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 7,971 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 10,722 MOT tests9 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 13,664 MOT tests910 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 13,620 MOT tests11 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.9), 11,040 MOT tests1112 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 9,636 MOT tests13 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 7,065 MOT tests1314 years: 2.6 per 100 (all cars 1.5), 7,324 MOT tests15 years: 3.4 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 9,879 MOT tests1516 years: 3.4 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 11,134 MOT tests17 years: 4.0 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 12,823 MOT tests1718 years: 5.5 per 100 (all cars 2.7), 14,351 MOT tests19 years: 6.1 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 13,764 MOT tests1920 years: 6.6 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 11,259 MOT tests21 years: 6.3 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 8,665 MOT tests2122 years: 6.0 per 100 (all cars 3.1), 5,918 MOT tests23 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 3,009 MOT tests2324 years: 6.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 1,576 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volkswagen Beetle All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
52,4300.10.3
64,7270.20.4
77,9710.20.4
810,7220.40.5
913,6640.40.6
1013,6200.40.7
1111,0400.60.9
129,6360.91.0
137,0651.71.2
147,3242.61.5
159,8793.41.7
1611,1343.42.1
1712,8234.02.5
1814,3515.52.7
19*13,7646.12.9
20*11,2596.63.1
21*8,6656.33.1
22*5,9186.03.1
23*3,0095.13.2
24*1,5766.53.2

All first-use years of the Volkswagen Beetle pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the seat belts and airbags at 18 years

Fails

  • Airbag (SRS) warning light on: 3.7 fails per 100 MOT tests, all class 4 vehicles 1.3. Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning: estimated £39–£317 (0.5–1.5 h at £78/h (ONS local-garage repair quotes, 1,058 quotes from 65 garages, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) + parts £0–£200) Airbag (SRS) warning lamp indicates a fault MOT fail

Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
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See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 1.6 petrol: 5.0 per 100 at 18 years, fails 2.0–2.4× as often as petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 6,578 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches and releases, and make sure the airbag light goes out after start-up.

Check one Volkswagen Beetle, not the average

The figures here describe Volkswagen Beetle cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Volkswagen Beetle problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Volkswagen Beetle have more seat belts and airbags problems than other cars?

1.9 to 2.1 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 18 years (all test years), from 14,351 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 1.2 in the same direction at 5 of the 20 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags problems?

5.5 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.7 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 14,351 MOT tests).

What is the most common Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags fail?

3.7 in 100 MOT tests at 18 years: Airbag (SRS) warning light on (535 MOT tests with it).

At what age do Volkswagen Beetle seat belts and airbags fails start?

14 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 99,702 MOT tests.

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 180,577 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare