Volkswagen Beetle
From 79,358 MOT tests. Below average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Beetles fare better: 2018 models pass at 82.7% vs 60.6% for 2000.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame and spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 4,295 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 4,295 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 2,982 |
| the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 2,584 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 2,253 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 2,001 |
| engine mil illuminated indicating a malfunction | 1,796 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 1,728 |
| a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led | 1,682 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,663 |
| an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 1,622 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 36.7% of Beetle failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 19% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £134.
Volkswagen Beetle on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 3,254 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 149 newly registered, a net loss of 3,105. At this rate, roughly 19.2 years until none remain. Now at 68.2% of its peak (87,356 in 2016 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 43,221 | 16,328 | +46 | -667 | -621 |
| 2025 Q2 | 44,079 | 16,091 | +32 | -623 | -591 |
| 2025 Q1 | 44,359 | 16,402 | +39 | -761 | -722 |
| 2024 Q4 | 45,291 | 16,192 | +32 | -1,203 | -1,171 |
| 2024 Q3 | 46,798 | 15,856 | +38 | -958 | -920 |
| 2024 Q2 | 47,744 | 15,830 | +29 | -801 | -772 |
| 2024 Q1 | 48,349 | 15,997 | +39 | -905 | -866 |
| 2023 Q4 | 49,336 | 15,876 | +17 | -698 | -681 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle Luna 102Ps | Petrol | 5,320 | 15% |
| Beetle | Petrol | 5,155 | 14% |
| Beetle Cabriolet | Diesel | 2,954 | 8% |
| Beetle Design Tsi Bmotion Tech | Petrol | 2,354 | 7% |
| Beetle Design Tsi | Petrol | 2,292 | 6% |
| 1300 Beetle | Petrol | 2,285 | 6% |
| Beetle Tdi | Diesel | 2,163 | 6% |
| Beetle Design Tdi | Diesel | 1,957 | 5% |
| Beetle Luna 75Ps | Petrol | 1,889 | 5% |
| 1200 Beetle | Petrol | 1,581 | 4% |
| Beetle Sport Tdi | Diesel | 1,275 | 4% |
| Beetle Design Tsi S-A | Petrol | 1,207 | 3% |
| Beetle Tsi | Petrol | 909 | 3% |
| Beetle Design Tdi Bmotion Tech | Diesel | 808 | 2% |
| Beetle Sport Tsi | Petrol | 758 | 2% |
| Beetle Design Tsi Bmt S-A | Petrol | 738 | 2% |
| Beetle Cabriolet Tiptronic | Petrol | 694 | 2% |
| Beetle Solar | Petrol | 649 | 2% |
| Beetle Auto | Gas | 598 | 2% |
| Beetle Design Tdi S-A | Diesel | 515 | 1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 82.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 79.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2016 | 79.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2015 | 77.2% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
21 earlier years
| 2014 | 76.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2013 | 75.8% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2012 | 76.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, an obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 2011 | 69.8% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 2010 | 66.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2009 | 67.7% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2008 | 63.9% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2007 | 62% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2006 | 62.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2005 | 62.9% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2004 | 62.3% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2003 | 60.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2002 | 61.5% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2001 | 61.5% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2000 | 60.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1999 | 65% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1974 | 70.4% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 1973 | 83.4% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1972 | 80.2% | a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1971 | 79.4% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 1970 | 87.5% | windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle. |
Typical mileage
Half of all Beetles tested had between 49,358 and 107,204 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 79,958 median miles, the Beetle has 0.038 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Volkswagen models
| Volkswagen Golf | 79.1% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 73.8% |
| Volkswagen Transporter | 73.8% |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 84.6% |
| Volkswagen Passat | 76.9% |
Common questions
What is the Volkswagen Beetle MOT pass rate?
The Volkswagen Beetle has a 69.3% MOT pass rate based on 79,358 real MOT tests. This is below the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Beetle?
The most common MOT failure on the Volkswagen Beetle is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 4,295 failures. Other common issues include the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements.
How many Volkswagen Beetles are on UK roads?
There are 43,221 Volkswagen Beetles currently licensed on UK roads, with 16,328 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Volkswagen Beetle at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Volkswagen Beetle is 79,958 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 49,358 and 107,204 miles.
Buying a used Beetle?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 69.3% pass rate and an average repair bill of £134 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 36.7% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
Some links are to services we may earn from. Disclosure.
MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.