Volkswagen Phaeton: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Phaeton passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 2.1 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 850 individual Volkswagen Phaeton tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 78.8% first-time pass rate means roughly 21 in every 100 Volkswagen Phaetons 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 Phaeton tested had covered 114,189 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. On a Volkswagen Phaeton bought as a 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 Phaeton 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 what damaged Volkswagen Phaetons actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Phaeton

1. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.3% of tests (2.59x the national rate for this defect)
2. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2% of tests (2.56x the national rate for this defect)
3. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2.1% of tests (2.2x the national rate for this defect)
4. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.5% of tests (2.03x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 3.1% of tests
6. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.8% of tests
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 1.1% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 1% of tests
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.8% of tests

From 1,583 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Phaeton tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.96% of these flagged Volkswagen Phaeton defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

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

• Audi Tt - 78.8%
• Ford Transit Courier - 78.8%
• Honda Stepwagon - 78.8%
• Maserati Coupe - 78.8%
• Honda Jazz - 78.7%
• Mercedes-Benz A-Class - 78.7%

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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate