Volkswagen Passat MOT pass rate: 75.3% (166,958 tests, 2025)

Name: Volkswagen Passat MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Volkswagen Passat passed 75.3% of its 166,958 MOT tests in 2025 — 2.2 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 12 years old with 122,735 miles on the clock.

75.3%Pass rate (2025)

166,958MOT tests analysed

122,735 miMedian mileage at test

12 yrsMedian age at test

How the Passat compares

Volkswagen Passat

75.3%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volkswagen average (all models)

77.6%

What fails most on the Volkswagen Passat

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Passat:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	33,408	33.3%
2	Tyres	19,759	19.7%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	14,862	14.8%
4	Brakes	12,923	12.9%
5	Body, chassis, structure	7,630	7.6%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	5,825	5.8%

Pre-MOT checklist for Passat owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Passat pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2001, 2021. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2004, 2015. Full ranking and method: Volkswagen Passat years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	3,061	65.2%	-1.4 pts	153,624	65.2% visual scale
2002	5,217	65.7%	+0.1 pts	155,910	65.7% visual scale
2003	8,198	65.3%	+0.3 pts	159,218	65.3% visual scale
2004	9,672	67.4%	+3.1 pts	157,911	67.4% visual scale
2005	11,934	66.9%	+2.4 pts	153,066	66.9% visual scale
2006	16,414	64.0%	-0.4 pts	150,677	64.0% visual scale
2007	24,303	66.0%	+0.9 pts	148,952	66.0% visual scale
2008	28,112	67.5%	+2.4 pts	145,290	67.5% visual scale
2009	33,638	69.2%	+2.7 pts	138,466	69.2% visual scale
2010	33,571	68.5%	+1.2 pts	138,302	68.5% visual scale
2011	48,853	70.4%	+1.2 pts	139,160	70.4% visual scale
2012	41,771	71.2%	-0.0 pts	130,185	71.2% visual scale
2013	36,522	73.2%	-0.1 pts	118,979	73.2% visual scale
2014	44,715	75.3%	-0.6 pts	108,661	75.3% visual scale
2015	46,857	82.1%	+3.3 pts	105,695	82.1% visual scale
2016	45,400	83.6%	+2.3 pts	95,370	83.6% visual scale
2017	41,888	85.1%	+1.1 pts	83,038	85.1% visual scale
2018	32,500	87.3%	+1.0 pts	70,638	87.3% visual scale
2019	18,783	87.8%	-0.7 pts	56,757	87.8% visual scale
2020	5,192	89.8%	-0.1 pts	45,272	89.8% visual scale
2021	2,866	88.0%	-2.4 pts	50,116	88.0% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Shock absorbers has light misting of oil — 8,206 cars · 7.7% failed the same item the next year
Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 15,565 cars · 6.0% failed the same item the next year
Suspension arm corroded but not seriously weakened — 3,796 cars · 6.0% failed the same item the next year
Wheel bearings has slight play — 372 cars · 5.1% failed the same item the next year
Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 447 cars · 4.7% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Passat before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volkswagen models

Golf77.8% pass rate · 782,869 tests Polo71.4% pass rate · 577,151 tests Transporter70.7% pass rate · 269,178 tests Tiguan81.4% pass rate · 184,098 tests Caddy73.4% pass rate · 139,412 tests Up84.1% pass rate · 121,528 tests Touran73.2% pass rate · 67,815 tests T-Roc92.0% pass rate · 55,178 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Passat?

In 2025, 75.3% of 166,958 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Passat were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Passat fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (33.3% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Volkswagen Passat reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 75.3% it performs below the national average at a median age of 12 years and 122,735 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

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.

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, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.