Volkswagen Jetta: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Jetta fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 13,435 individual Volkswagen Jetta tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 69.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 30 in every 100 Volkswagen Jettas 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 Jetta tested had covered 111,620 miles and was built around 2010.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Jetta sits 7 points below the national average, ranked 1,768 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 Jetta 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 Jetta: £525 at UK salvage auction, from 3 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Jetta

1. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.1% of tests (3.14x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 5.4% of tests (2.95x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this defect)
4. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.6% of tests (2.37x the national rate for this defect)
5. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.3% of tests (2.25x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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, 1.9% of tests (2.06x the national rate for this defect)
7. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.3% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.8% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.8% of tests (1.69x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 3.8% of tests (1.62x the national rate for this defect)

From 13,432 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Jetta tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.9% of these flagged Volkswagen Jetta defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Jetta

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 Jetta before it actually fails on it.

1. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 3.6% of tests (3.25x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 13.2% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 11.3% of tests (2.39x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.1% of tests (2.07x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 25.7% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.9% of tests (1.86x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.1% of tests (1.66x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16.8% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this advisory)
9. 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, 2.1% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 6.9% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this advisory)

From 13,432 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Jetta tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Jetta pass rate by model year

From its 2006 to its 2017 model year, the Volkswagen Jetta's first-time pass rate has risen 11.9 points, from 66.4% to 78.3%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Jetta year:

• 2006 Volkswagen Jetta - 66.4% first-time pass, 1,405 tests
• 2007 Volkswagen Jetta - 66.3% first-time pass, 2,030 tests
• 2008 Volkswagen Jetta - 64.8% first-time pass, 1,545 tests
• 2009 Volkswagen Jetta - 71.8% first-time pass, 1,053 tests
• 2010 Volkswagen Jetta - 72% first-time pass, 654 tests
• 2011 Volkswagen Jetta - 69.1% first-time pass, 908 tests
• 2012 Volkswagen Jetta - 72.1% first-time pass, 1,151 tests
• 2013 Volkswagen Jetta - 70.7% first-time pass, 1,050 tests
• 2014 Volkswagen Jetta - 71.1% first-time pass, 977 tests
• 2015 Volkswagen Jetta - 74.8% first-time pass, 1,126 tests
• 2016 Volkswagen Jetta - 78.2% first-time pass, 770 tests
• 2017 Volkswagen Jetta - 78.3% first-time pass, 350 tests

Volkswagen Jetta by fuel type

The Volkswagen Jetta's two most-tested fuel types split by 4.2 points: diesel passes first time 69.5% of the time (11,103 tests) against 73.7% for petrol (2,227 tests).

• Diesel Volkswagen Jetta - 69.5% first-time pass, 11,103 tests
• Petrol Volkswagen Jetta - 73.7% first-time pass, 2,227 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

• Toyota Granvia - 69.8%
• Nissan Sunny - 69.8%
• Peugeot 107 - 69.7%
• Honda Prelude - 69.7%
• Mazda Bt-50 - 69.7%
• Ford Galaxy - 69.6%

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