Volkswagen Passat MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volkswagen Passat MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volkswagen Passat passed on its first attempt in 75.8%, and its overall record sits −0.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Passat in the 2023–2025 data: 689,671 tests across 24 model years (2000–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Volkswagen Passat MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volkswagen Passat, the Suspension section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Volkswagen Passat's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volkswagen Passat DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Passat, each with how many of the model's 689,671 tests it was noted on.

• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 27,686 Volkswagen Passat tests, 4.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 23,238 Volkswagen Passat tests, 3.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 19,005 Volkswagen Passat tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 15,471 Volkswagen Passat tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 13,929 Volkswagen Passat tests, 2.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (Major) — noted on about 9,668 Volkswagen Passat tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volkswagen Passat Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volkswagen Passat model year on record is 2023 (95.3% across 297 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (71.5%). The gap between them is 23.8 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volkswagen Passat reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volkswagen Passat Owners

These checks follow this Volkswagen Passat's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Passat.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Passat. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Volkswagen Passat MOT & Reliability