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Volkswagen Jetta seat belts and airbags problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 7,374 MOT tests · Updated

At 16 years, 5.3 in 100 MOT tests of the Volkswagen Jetta failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,374 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails 2.3–2.8× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 394 MOT tests with a fail
  • When it starts: clear of 1.2 times from 13 years and at every older age seen
  • Most common fail: Airbag (SRS) warning light on, 2.9 per 100 MOT tests

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

5.3 fails per 100 MOT tests at 16 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 16 (all test years). The Volkswagen Jetta 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 Jetta seat belts and airbags fails by age

Volkswagen Jetta seat belts and airbags fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volkswagen Jetta. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.056 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 1,204 MOT tests67 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 2,415 MOT tests8 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 3,427 MOT tests89 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 4,113 MOT tests10 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.7), 4,512 MOT tests1011 years: 0.7 per 100 (all cars 0.9), 4,356 MOT tests12 years: 0.9 per 100 (all cars 1.0), 3,944 MOT tests1213 years: 1.9 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 4,133 MOT tests14 years: 2.8 per 100 (all cars 1.5), 4,820 MOT tests1415 years: 3.3 per 100 (all cars 1.7), 6,495 MOT tests16 years: 5.3 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 7,374 MOT tests1617 years: 6.2 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 5,227 MOT tests18 years: 5.1 per 100 (all cars 2.7), 2,997 MOT tests1819 years: 9.0 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 1,059 MOT tests
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volkswagen Jetta All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
61,2040.40.4
72,4150.50.4
83,4270.40.5
94,1130.50.6
104,5120.50.7
114,3560.70.9
123,9440.91.0
134,1331.91.2
144,8202.81.5
156,4953.31.7
167,3745.32.1
175,2276.22.5
182,9975.12.7
19*1,0599.02.9

All first-use years of the Volkswagen Jetta 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 16 years

Fails

Diagnose and fix airbag (SRS) warning cost

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

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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 Jetta, not the average

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

Other Volkswagen Jetta problems

Seat belts and airbags on rival models

Questions people ask

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

2.3 to 2.8 times the seat belts and airbags fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 16 years (all test years), from 7,374 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 1.2 in the same direction at 3 of the 14 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Volkswagen Jetta seat belts and airbags problems?

5.3 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years failed on seat belts and airbags, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 7,374 MOT tests).

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

2.9 in 100 MOT tests at 16 years: Airbag (SRS) warning light on (214 MOT tests with it).

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

13 years: from then on the rate stays clear of 1.2 times all class 4 vehicles the same age at every age seen, 32,105 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, 56,076 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