Car
Ford Mondeo
78.1%
pass rate across 711,192 tests
72.9% first-time pass rate
Ford Mondeo vs Volkswagen Passat
The two cars compared on 1,400,863 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
80.2%
pass rate across 689,671 tests
75.8% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Volkswagen Passat edges the MOT comparison
Across 1,400,863 tests, the Volkswagen Passat has the stronger first-time record: 75.8% against 72.9%, a 2.9-point gap. On all MOTs the Volkswagen Passat is ahead at 80.2% versus 78.1%. A typical repair bill is similar: £31–£86 for the Ford Mondeo and £41–£112 for the Volkswagen Passat; at their pass rates that is roughly £686–£1,894 versus £819–£2,225 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Ford Mondeo is Sub-frame corroded at 7.1% of tests, up to £450 to fix.
- First-time pass: 72.9% vs 75.8%.
- All MOTs: 78.1% vs 80.2%.
- Like-for-like: +0.1 vs +0.9 points.
- Typical repair bill: £31–£86 vs £41–£112.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 77.1% vs 79.4%.
| Measure | Mondeo | Passat |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 711,192 | 689,671 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 78.1% | 80.2% stronger figure |
| First-time pass rate | 72.9% | 75.8% stronger figure |
| Against the UK average | −2.9 pts | −0.8 pts stronger figure |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +0.1 pts | +0.9 pts stronger figure |
| Average mileage at test | 103,554 mi | 118,653 mi |
| Model years on record | 2000–2022 (23) | 2000–2023 (24) |
| Best model year | 2022 · 90.8% | 2023 · 95.3% |
| Worst model year | 2003 · 70.0% | 2000 · 71.5% |
| Typical repair bill | £31–£86 stronger figure | £41–£112 |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £686–£1,894 stronger figure | £819–£2,225 |
| Main fuel | Diesel 79% | Diesel 91% |
| Variants recorded | 3 | 2 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Mondeo
- Coil spring corroded 8.1% £25–£65
- Sub-frame corroded 7.1% £180–£450
- Suspension arm corroded 7.1% £35–£85
- Exhaust system insecure 4.0% £45–£120
Passat
- Suspension pin or bush excessively worn 16.5% £40–£150
- Shock absorber leaking 8.6% £30–£75
- Suspension arm corroded 4.4% £35–£85
- CV boot severely deteriorated 3.4% £80–£250
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Mondeo | Passat |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 86.8% · 55,114 tests | 85.8% · 52,595 tests |
| 2017 | 88.0% · 36,979 tests | 86.9% · 47,851 tests |
| 2018 | 88.7% · 23,638 tests | 88.6% · 36,426 tests |
| 2019 | 88.7% · 14,822 tests | 89.3% · 24,706 tests |
| 2020 | 88.8% · 7,556 tests | 90.6% · 19,366 tests |
| 2021 | 88.4% · 2,632 tests | 90.3% · 8,157 tests |
| 2022 | 90.8% · 628 tests | 90.5% · 2,697 tests |
| 2023 | — | 95.3% · 297 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Mondeo | Passat |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 91.9% · 15,753 tests | 92.8% · 15,310 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 87.7% · 72,310 tests | 89.1% · 70,797 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 82.2% · 136,923 tests | 84.0% · 119,841 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 77.1% · 177,010 tests | 79.4% · 146,250 tests |
| 120k+ | 74.0% · 306,952 tests | 76.7% · 336,170 tests |
What to check before you buy
Ford Mondeo
- Coil spring corroded — 8.1% of tests, £25–£65 to put right.
- Sub-frame corroded — 7.1% of tests, £180–£450 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2003 at 70.0%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Volkswagen Passat
- Suspension pin or bush excessively worn — 16.5% of tests, £40–£150 to put right.
- Shock absorber leaking — 8.6% of tests, £30–£75 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2000 at 71.5%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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