Repair costs · Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle wiper blade replacement: MOT fails on these items more often than other cars of the same age
At MOT, the Volkswagen Beetle fails on items fixed by wiper blade replacement at least 1.5 times as often as cars of the same ages and fuel. From 180,577 MOT tests at 20 ages (5 to 24 years), DVSA data 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
What this shows
These are MOT fail items that wiper blade replacement fixes, as testers found them on the day of the test. Repairs done between MOTs never show up in MOT data, and mileage is not taken into account, so this is not how often owners pay for the repair.
By age
Fail items fixed by wiper blade replacement, per 100 MOT tests, against cars of the same age and the same fuel mix. The model figure is a floor: DVSA data lists each model’s 25 most recorded items per age, and an item outside that list is counted as zero. The comparison figure is a ceiling: an item too rare to be listed for a fuel is counted at its highest possible value.
| Age | Volkswagen Beetle per 100 | Same age and fuel per 100 | Tests (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | 5.35 | 2.13 | 2,430 |
| 6 years | 3.28 | 1.85 | 4,727 |
| 7 years | 2.65 | 1.73 | 7,971 |
| 8 years | 2.56 | 1.71 | 10,722 |
| 9 years | 2.00 | 1.75 | 13,664 |
| 10 years | 1.99 | 1.85 | 13,620 |
| 11 years | 2.25 | 1.95 | 11,040 |
| 12 years | 2.58 | 2.11 | 9,636 |
| 13 years | 3.79 | 2.31 | 7,065 |
| 14 years | 5.56 | 2.50 | 7,324 |
| 15 years | 5.25 | 2.59 | 9,879 |
| 16 years | 5.26 | 2.75 | 11,134 |
| 17 years | 5.14 | 2.93 | 12,823 |
| 18 years | 5.45 | 3.13 | 14,351 |
| 19 years | 5.29 | 3.34 | 13,764 |
| 20 years | 4.84 | 3.49 | 11,259 |
| 21 years | 4.82 | 3.55 | 8,665 |
| 22 years | 4.70 | 3.52 | 5,918 |
| 23 years | 4.25 | 3.48 | 3,009 |
| 24 years | 5.14 | 3.24 | 1,576 |
How we decide: a page exists only when the main generation’s rate, weighted to its own mix of ages and fuels, is at least 1.5 times the rate of cars of the same ages and fuel, from at least 50,000 tests at 3 or more ages, with at least 100 expected items.
What it costs
Prices are national. They are not specific to the Volkswagen Beetle.
ONS price quotes for “WINDSCREEN WIPER BLADES”, September 2025 to August 2026, UK, 1,658 quotes from 78 shops. This is the price of wiper blades as the ONS collects it. Consumer prices as quoted.
If a garage also charges labour
Median hourly rate charged for car repairs, from 1,058 local garage and 953 main dealer price quotes collected by the ONS, September 2025 to August 2026. The same shops are priced each month, so the number of shops is the real sample.
MOT defects this repair fixes
- Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively2.13 per 100, all cars
More on the Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle MOT fail rate by age Volkswagen Beetle windscreen and wiper problems Volkswagen Beetle common problems Volkswagen Beetle recalls Volkswagen Beetle ULEZ and clean air zones
- Volkswagen Beetle airbag warning light repairat least 2.3 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle coil spring replacementat least 1.5 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle corrosion welding repairat least 1.7 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle emissions fail repairat least 1.7 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle engine warning light diagnosisat least 2.0 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle headlight bulb replacementat least 1.5 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle suspension arm bush replacementat least 2.2 times as often
- Volkswagen Beetle track rod end replacementat least 1.8 times as often
Other models that fail on these items more often
| Model | Times as often | Tests (n) |
|---|---|---|
| Nissan NV200 | at least 2.6 | 122,396 |
| Citroen C4 Cactus | at least 2.5 | 82,843 |
| Citroen Dispatch | at least 2.3 | 189,276 |
| Mitsubishi Colt | at least 2.2 | 93,891 |
| Vauxhall Combo | at least 2.2 | 423,103 |
| Suzuki Celerio | at least 2.1 | 110,627 |
| Nissan Juke | at least 2.1 | 1,225,209 |
| Chevrolet Spark | at least 2.1 | 59,796 |
| Renault Kangoo | at least 2.0 | 229,058 |
| Suzuki Alto | at least 2.0 | 196,008 |
Looking at a Volkswagen Beetle?
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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, and the MOT inspection manual published on GOV.UK. Prices: ONS consumer price inflation price quotes, September 2025 to August 2026, UK.
MOT data updated . Prices updated .
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA or the Office for National Statistics. How we calculate these figures · Data sources