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Volkswagen Passat body and structure problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 61,657 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 0.6 in 100 MOT tests of the Volkswagen Passat failed on body and structure, against 1.8 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,657 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 374 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 23 ages from 3 to 25 years, 792,205 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 8 years: 61,657 for the Volkswagen Passat

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

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.6 fails per 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 1.8 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A body and structure fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

Look under the sills, jacking points and rear subframe for rot, bubbling or fresh underseal over a repair, and check every door, bonnet and boot shuts properly.

Volkswagen Passat body and structure fails by age

Volkswagen Passat body and structure fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volkswagen Passat. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.0510153 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 20,292 MOT tests34 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 29,296 MOT tests5 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 39,071 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 48,620 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 1.3), 57,482 MOT tests78 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 61,657 MOT tests9 years: 1.1 per 100 (all cars 2.3), 59,789 MOT tests910 years: 1.7 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 59,093 MOT tests11 years: 2.6 per 100 (all cars 3.5), 61,025 MOT tests1112 years: 3.0 per 100 (all cars 4.3), 57,348 MOT tests13 years: 3.8 per 100 (all cars 5.0), 57,013 MOT tests1314 years: 5.8 per 100 (all cars 5.9), 53,175 MOT tests15 years: 8.0 per 100 (all cars 6.7), 46,183 MOT tests1516 years: 10.2 per 100 (all cars 7.6), 39,260 MOT tests17 years: 12.2 per 100 (all cars 8.3), 29,623 MOT tests1718 years: 13.5 per 100 (all cars 8.7), 21,985 MOT tests19 years: 13.8 per 100 (all cars 9.0), 16,556 MOT tests1920 years: 14.4 per 100 (all cars 9.2), 12,614 MOT tests21 years: 13.8 per 100 (all cars 9.3), 9,052 MOT tests2122 years: 12.7 per 100 (all cars 9.4), 5,947 MOT tests23 years: 12.0 per 100 (all cars 9.5), 3,618 MOT tests2324 years: 13.6 per 100 (all cars 9.4), 2,243 MOT tests25 years: 11.7 per 100 (all cars 9.3), 1,263 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volkswagen Passat All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
320,2920.20.3
429,2960.20.3
539,0710.10.5
648,6200.20.8
757,4820.31.3
861,6570.61.8
959,7891.12.3
1059,0931.72.9
1161,0252.63.5
1257,3483.04.3
1357,0133.85.0
1453,1755.85.9
1546,1838.06.7
1639,26010.27.6
1729,62312.28.3
1821,98513.58.7
19*16,55613.89.0
20*12,61414.49.2
21*9,05213.89.3
22*5,94712.79.4
23*3,61812.09.5
24*2,24313.69.4
25*1,26311.79.3

All first-use years of the Volkswagen Passat 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 body and structure at 8 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 2.0 diesel: 0.6 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 45,894 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 diesel: 0.6 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 13,503 MOT tests)
  • 1.9 diesel: 13.9 per 100 at 18 years, fails 1.3–1.5× as often as diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 11,780 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Look under the sills, jacking points and rear subframe for rot, bubbling or fresh underseal over a repair, and check every door, bonnet and boot shuts properly.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated.

Check one Volkswagen Passat, not the average

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

Other Volkswagen Passat problems

Body and structure on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Volkswagen Passat have more body and structure problems than other cars?

0.6 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 1.8 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 61,657 MOT tests).

How common are Volkswagen Passat body and structure problems?

0.6 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on body and structure, against 1.8 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 61,657 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, 792,205 MOT tests. 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