Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 13.4 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,132 individual Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 90.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 10 in every 100 Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-As presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A tested had covered 48,779 miles and was built around 2021.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A sits 13.4 points above the national average, ranked 685 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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 Passat R-Line Tdi S-A 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-As at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A

1. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.1% of tests
2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2% of tests
3. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.5% of tests
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.1% of tests
5. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
6. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.5% of tests
7. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.5% of tests
8. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.4% of tests
9. Brake lining or pad worn down to wear indicator, 0.4% of tests (1.78x the national rate for this defect)
10. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 0.3% of tests (6.78x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,131 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 7.35% of these flagged Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A

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 Passat R-Line Tdi S-A before it actually fails on it.

1. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 20.9% of tests, also fails
2. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 13.9% of tests
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 8.7% of tests, also fails
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 6.4% of tests, also fails
5. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.9% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.2% of tests, also fails
7. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 1.2% of tests
8. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.1% of tests, also fails
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.8% of tests
10. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 0.4% of tests

From 1,131 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A pass rate by model year

From its 2020 to its 2021 model year, the Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A's first-time pass rate has risen 0.8 points, from 91.1% to 91.9%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A year:

• 2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A - 91.1% first-time pass, 381 tests
• 2021 Volkswagen Passat R-Line Tdi S-A - 91.9% first-time pass, 691 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

• BMW X2 Sdrive20i Sport Auto - 90.1%
• Audi Q3 S Ln Blk Ed 35 Tfsi Mhev Sa - 90.1%
• Volkswagen Golf Match Edition Tsi - 90.1%
• Peugeot 2008 Allure Puretech S/S Auto - 90.1%
• BMW 340i - 90.1%
• Volvo Xc60 Momentum D4 Auto - 90.1%

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?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate