Volkswagen Beetle MOT failure rate and common faults
32,251 Volkswagen Beetle cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 39.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 35.2% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen Beetle 12% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
39.5%
failed first time
32,251 MOT tests in 2025
+12%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 35.2%
164 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
98.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 123.6
What fails on a Volkswagen Beetle MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Volkswagen Beetle MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 69.4 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 53.4 |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 45.9 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength | Suspension | 45.5 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 39.3 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 38.9 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 37.8 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 29.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 27.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 25.6 |
Volkswagen Beetle MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 894 | 19.1% | 19.1% | 40,300 |
| 2017 | 1,514 | 27.8% | 21.8% | 47,100 |
| 2016 | 2,290 | 28.9% | 25.1% | 56,100 |
| 2015 | 3,258 | 32.0% | 28.1% | 62,800 |
| 2014 | 3,595 | 33.7% | 31.4% | 69,500 |
| 2013 | 4,442 | 34.4% | 34.3% | 77,500 |
| 2012 | 2,279 | 34.6% | 36.6% | 80,100 |
| 2011 | 658 | 45.7% | 38.8% | 80,000 |
| 2010 | 2,021 | 46.4% | 40.7% | 84,300 |
| 2009 | 1,674 | 47.0% | 41.8% | 89,600 |
| 2008 | 2,111 | 51.0% | 42.9% | 94,800 |
| 2007 | 2,525 | 52.8% | 42.7% | 96,600 |
| 2006 | 2,492 | 51.2% | 43.0% | 99,900 |
| 2005 | 2,489 | 47.9% | 42.4% | 100,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen Beetle's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Volkswagen Beetle, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge254.3
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing187.3
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened165.7
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement142.4
- Coil spring: corroded120.6
- Brake pads: wearing thin79.9
Checking a used Volkswagen Beetle before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Beetle fails more often than average on suspension, engine, emissions and leaks and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Volkswagen Beetle cars tested: Petrol 71%, Diesel 29%. Average age at test 13.6 years, average recorded mileage 78,600.
Volkswagen Beetle MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen Beetle MOT failure rate?
39.5% of Volkswagen Beetle cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 32,251 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 35.2% of the time, so the Volkswagen Beetle was 12% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Beetle MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 269 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 69.4 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen Beetle year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2012 registrations did best: 34.6% failed against an average of 36.6% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Volkswagen Beetle will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen Beetle tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Volkswagen models
- Volkswagen Golf23.9% failed
- Volkswagen Polo31.7% failed
- Volkswagen Transporter29.2% failed
- Volkswagen Tiguan18.6% failed
- Volkswagen Passat28.0% failed
- Volkswagen Caddy31.5% failed
Ranked close to the Volkswagen Beetle
- Alfa Romeo Giuliettarank 162
- Vauxhall Zafirarank 163
- Ford Fiestarank 165
- Fiat 500rank 166
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Volkswagen Beetle cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.