2012 Volkswagen Jetta MOT pass rate: 70.8% (3,469 tests)
Is the 2012 Jetta getting worse?
Pass rate of 2012-registered cars across recent test years:
Scroll horizontally to read every trend column.
| Test year | Pass rate | Pass-rate bar |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 70.2% -2.2 vs same-age |
70.2% visual scale |
| 2024 | 72.0% +1.0 vs same-age |
72.0% visual scale |
| 2025 | 70.2% -0.1 vs same-age |
70.2% visual scale |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2012 Jetta
Scroll horizontally to read every failure column.
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 982 | 40.5% |
| 2 | Brakes | 442 | 18.2% |
| 3 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 332 | 13.7% |
| 4 | Tyres | 301 | 12.4% |
| 5 | Body, chassis, structure | 114 | 4.7% |
| 6 | Visibility | 107 | 4.4% |
All Jetta years compared
Scroll horizontally to compare every registration-year column.
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 4,317 | 66.0% | +1.6 pts | 132,372 |
| 2007 | 6,097 | 66.3% | +1.2 pts | 131,946 |
| 2008 | 4,607 | 67.1% | +2.0 pts | 126,749 |
| 2009 | 3,114 | 70.2% | +3.7 pts | 111,948 |
| 2010 | 1,954 | 70.8% | +3.4 pts | 106,694 |
| 2011 | 2,684 | 70.2% | +1.0 pts | 108,516 |
| 2012 (this page) | 3,469 | 70.8% | -0.5 pts | 105,076 |
| 2013 | 3,103 | 70.4% | -3.0 pts | 90,418 |
| 2014 | 2,913 | 72.7% | -3.2 pts | 86,071 |
| 2015 | 3,321 | 75.6% | -3.2 pts | 71,403 |
| 2016 | 2,255 | 77.7% | -3.7 pts | 63,828 |
- Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
FAQs
Is a 2012 Volkswagen Jetta reliable?
2012-registered examples passed 70.8% of their MOT tests (3,469 tests, 2023–2025), -0.5 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 14 years old with a median 105,076 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2012 Jetta?
The median tested example shows 105,076 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Before you agree to the work
A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.
- When a repair costs more than the car — what a comparable quote should include, plus any verified UK figures we have sourced.
- Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
- What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
- Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
- Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
- Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.