Diesel Volkswagen Passat: MOT pass rate
74.5% of diesel Volkswagen Passats pass the MOT first time, measured across 165,249 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 129,307.
Diesel against the other Volkswagen Passat versions
| Fuel | Pass rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 74.5% | 165,249 |
| Petrol | 78.8% | 11,752 |
| Hybrid | 87.4% | 5,767 |
| All Volkswagen Passat | 75.2% | 182,779 |
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 Passat specifically, hybrid is the strongest at 87.4%, and this diesel version sits 0.7 points below the 75.2% 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 Passat had covered 129,307 miles at test, against 87,141 for the petrol and 68,987 for the hybrid. 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 Passat page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.
Other Volkswagen Passat fuel types
- Petrol Volkswagen Passat - 78.8%
- Hybrid Volkswagen Passat - 87.4%