Volkswagen Beetle: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Beetle fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 13.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 44,586 individual Volkswagen Beetle tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 63.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 37 in every 100 Volkswagen Beetles presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Volkswagen Beetle tested had covered 81,108 miles and was built around 2009.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Beetle sits 13.5 points below the national average, ranked 1,890 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volkswagen Beetle rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Volkswagen Beetle: £450 at UK salvage auction, from 10 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Beetle

1. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.6% of tests (8.11x the national rate for this defect)
2. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.3% of tests (5.79x the national rate for this defect)
3. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 5.3% of tests (5.59x the national rate for this defect)
4. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 3.8% of tests (2.96x the national rate for this defect)
5. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 3.6% of tests (2.92x the national rate for this defect)
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 6.2% of tests (2.66x the national rate for this defect)
7. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.6% of tests (2.33x the national rate for this defect)
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.8% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this defect)
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3.7% of tests (1.97x the national rate for this defect)
10. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.7% of tests (1.95x the national rate for this defect)

From 44,563 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Beetle tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.68% of these flagged Volkswagen Beetle defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Beetle

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volkswagen Beetle before it actually fails on it.

1. A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched, 3.5% of tests (6.17x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 3.3% of tests (2.97x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 12.9% of tests (2.73x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 3.7% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.4% of tests (2.19x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.2% of tests (1.57x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.4% of tests (1.54x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 17.9% of tests (1.47x the national rate for this advisory)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 18.7% of tests (1.4x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A tyre seriously damaged, 21.5% of tests (1.39x the national rate for this advisory)

From 44,563 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Beetle tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Beetle pass rate by model year

From its 2000 to its 2018 model year, the Volkswagen Beetle's first-time pass rate has risen 26.5 points, from 54.9% to 81.4%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Beetle year:

• 2000 Volkswagen Beetle - 54.9% first-time pass, 679 tests
• 2001 Volkswagen Beetle - 57.7% first-time pass, 1,021 tests
• 2002 Volkswagen Beetle - 56.2% first-time pass, 1,220 tests
• 2003 Volkswagen Beetle - 55% first-time pass, 2,524 tests
• 2004 Volkswagen Beetle - 55.4% first-time pass, 3,423 tests
• 2005 Volkswagen Beetle - 57.2% first-time pass, 3,087 tests
• 2006 Volkswagen Beetle - 55.5% first-time pass, 3,042 tests
• 2007 Volkswagen Beetle - 54.2% first-time pass, 2,842 tests
• 2008 Volkswagen Beetle - 56.3% first-time pass, 2,406 tests
• 2009 Volkswagen Beetle - 59.8% first-time pass, 1,789 tests
• 2010 Volkswagen Beetle - 62.3% first-time pass, 2,092 tests
• 2011 Volkswagen Beetle - 62.7% first-time pass, 659 tests
• 2012 Volkswagen Beetle - 69.8% first-time pass, 2,272 tests
• 2013 Volkswagen Beetle - 68.8% first-time pass, 4,438 tests
• 2014 Volkswagen Beetle - 71.6% first-time pass, 3,584 tests
• 2015 Volkswagen Beetle - 72.8% first-time pass, 3,260 tests
• 2016 Volkswagen Beetle - 74.3% first-time pass, 2,260 tests
• 2017 Volkswagen Beetle - 77.3% first-time pass, 1,501 tests
• 2018 Volkswagen Beetle - 81.4% first-time pass, 911 tests

Volkswagen Beetle by fuel type

The Volkswagen Beetle's two most-tested fuel types split by 3.2 points: petrol passes first time 62.9% of the time (33,409 tests) against 66.1% for diesel (10,788 tests).

• Petrol Volkswagen Beetle - 62.9% first-time pass, 33,409 tests
• Diesel Volkswagen Beetle - 66.1% first-time pass, 10,788 tests

Other Volkswagen models

• Volkswagen Golf - 77.1%
• Volkswagen Polo - 71.4%
• Volkswagen Transporter - 70.8%
• Volkswagen Tiguan - 82.4%
• Volkswagen Passat - 74.7%
• Volkswagen Caddy - 73.5%
• Volkswagen Up - 84.4%
• Volkswagen Touran - 72.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Vauxhall Antara - 63.6%
• Fiat Punto - 63.5%
• Daihatsu Hijet - 63.3%
• Volvo S40 - 63.2%
• Peugeot 306 - 63.2%
• Isuzu Tf - 63.2%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate