Diesel Volkswagen Jetta: MOT pass rate

69.5% of diesel Volkswagen Jettas pass the MOT first time, measured across 11,103 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 116,870.

Diesel against the other Volkswagen Jetta versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Diesel 69.5% 11,103
Petrol 73.7% 2,227
All Volkswagen Jetta70.2%13,331

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Volkswagen Jetta specifically, petrol is the strongest at 73.7%, and this diesel version sits 0.7 points below the 70.2% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

There is little to choose between fuel types on this model, so decide on running costs and mileage rather than MOT record. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Volkswagen Jetta had covered 116,870 miles at test, against 88,616 for the petrol. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Volkswagen Jetta page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other Volkswagen Jetta fuel types

All Volkswagen Jetta MOT data · Every model