2020 Volkswagen Passat Sel TDI S-A MOT pass rate: 89.3% (3,597 tests)

2020-registered Volkswagen Passat Sel TDI S-As passed 89.3% of 3,597 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — broadly in line with same-age cars (89.9%).

89.3%Pass rate, 2020 cars

99.4Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

3,597Tests analysed

50,168 miMedian mileage at test

Is the 2020 Passat Sel TDI S-A getting worse?

Pass rate of 2020-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	87.8% -3.0 vs same-age
2024	90.7% +0.8 vs same-age
2025	89.5% +0.6 vs same-age

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 2020 Passat Sel TDI S-A

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	324	49.5%
2	Suspension	90	13.7%
3	Brakes	85	13.0%
4	Visibility	48	7.3%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	39	6.0%
6	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	26	4.0%

All Passat Sel TDI S-A years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2020 (this page)	3,597	89.3%	-0.6 pts	50,168

Buying a 2020 Passat Sel TDI S-A? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2020 Volkswagen Passat Sel TDI S-A reliable?

2020-registered examples passed 89.3% of their MOT tests (3,597 tests, 2023–2025), -0.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 6 years old with a median 50,168 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2020 Passat Sel TDI S-A?

The median tested example shows 50,168 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.

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 OGL v3.0.