2011 Volkswagen Passat — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2011 Volkswagen Passat passed 77.6% of its 111,275 recorded MOT tests. Large family cars of a similar age fail at 22.8%, so the 2011 Passat sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Suspension dominates the failure mix at 13.3% of all tests — 5.3 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, tread depth and coil spring — pins and bushes alone was recorded 7,739 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 13.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.2% once past 150k.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.1pp more often than petrol ones (22.5% vs 19.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 36.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 21.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 13.3% | 14,816 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.0% | 8,926 |
| 3 | Tyres | 7.3% | 8,174 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.5% | 4,953 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 2,577 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.2% | 2,458 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 7,739 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 5,458 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 4,789 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 4,518 |
| 5 | Linkage ball joint dust cover | 3,731 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 2,273 |
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 | 36.4% | 40,461 |
| 2 | Tyres | 30.5% | 33,936 |
| 3 | Brakes | 22.0% | 24,524 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.8% | 10,928 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.7% | 7,493 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.1% | 5,650 |
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 | 239 | 13.8% |
| 30-60k | 2,888 | 16.6% |
| 60-90k | 12,733 | 19.7% |
| 90-120k | 26,559 | 22.4% |
| 120-150k | 29,652 | 23.2% |
| 150k+ | 39,180 | 23.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 108,989 | 22.5% |
| Petrol | 2,286 | 19.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 24,607 | 21.1% |
| 2022 | 23,723 | 21.7% |
| 2023 | 22,588 | 22.7% |
| 2024 | 21,047 | 23.3% |
| 2025 | 19,310 | 23.6% |
What to check before buying a 2011 Passat
On a 2011 Passat, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 13.3% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (13.3% 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 (8.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (7.3% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2011 Volkswagen Passats pass their MOT?
77.6% of the 111,275 2011 Volkswagen Passat MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2011 Volkswagen Passat?
Suspension, recorded in 13.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.0%).
Does the 2011 Passat get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 13.8% in the 0-30k band to 23.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 111,275 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.