Volkswagen Jetta MOT pass rate & common failures
The Volkswagen Jetta appears in 96,206 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 76.8% of them passed. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (22.6% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Jetta years
Ranked across Jetta years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 84.1% of 2017 examples pass against 73.2% of 2006 ones.
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 12.6% of all tests — 3.8 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 5,644 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 25.9% versus 14.1%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.0pp more often than petrol ones (23.6% vs 20.6%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 27.9% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Jetta model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 44 | 79.5% | 20.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 80 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Brakes |
| 1984 | 45 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 49 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 83 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 68 | 82.3% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 154 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 224 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 329 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 389 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 254 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 12,280 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 16,155 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 11,588 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 7,683 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 4,619 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 6,319 | 76.9% | 23.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 7,876 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 7,091 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 6,494 | 79.6% | 20.4% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 7,167 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 4,733 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 2,125 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 130 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 40 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 32 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 12.6% | 12,159 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.8% | 8,476 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.7% | 6,457 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.8% | 5,619 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.6% | 4,437 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.6% | 3,450 |
| 7 | Visibility | 3.4% | 3,276 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 2.1% | 2,021 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 5,644 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 4,560 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 4,014 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 3,362 |
| 5 | Joints | 2,987 |
| 6 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 2,564 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 2,484 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 2,184 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 27.9% | 26,810 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.5% | 26,470 |
| 3 | Brakes | 22.6% | 21,748 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 10.2% | 9,768 |
| 5 | Other defects | 9.1% | 8,787 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.7% | 8,355 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2,951 | 14.1% |
| 30-60k | 12,905 | 17.8% |
| 60-90k | 20,641 | 21.6% |
| 90-120k | 22,568 | 24.5% |
| 120-150k | 18,725 | 25.8% |
| 150k+ | 18,283 | 25.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 81,399 | 23.6% |
| Petrol | 14,802 | 20.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23,902 | 23.0% |
| 2022 | 21,593 | 22.6% |
| 2023 | 19,515 | 23.5% |
| 2024 | 16,858 | 23.6% |
| 2025 | 14,338 | 23.5% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Jetta
- Suspension (12.6% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (8.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Jetta?
76.8% of the 96,206 Volkswagen Jetta MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.2% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Volkswagen Jetta most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 12.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.8%).
Which Jetta years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 84.1% and 2006 the weakest at 73.2%, from 2,125 and 12,280 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Jetta MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.9% for 150k+, a 11.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Jetta more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 20.6% of the time against 23.6% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 96,206 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.