Volkswagen Passat: lighting & signalling MOT failures
Lighting & signalling was recorded as a failure area in 7.5% of Volkswagen Passat MOT tests — 93,552 tests out of 1,250,701. It shows up most on 2000 and 2004 cars.
Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair cost: £10–£150 (rough UK ballpark, not a quote).
Lighting & signalling failures by year
| Model year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 390 | 10.5% |
| 1997 | 786 | 14.4% |
| 1998 | 2,488 | 16.2% |
| 1999 | 3,531 | 17.3% |
| 2000 | 4,392 | 17.7% |
| 2001 | 9,047 | 16.9% |
| 2002 | 15,543 | 16.6% |
| 2003 | 23,970 | 16.5% |
| 2004 | 27,992 | 18.0% |
| 2005 | 35,222 | 16.3% |
| 2006 | 50,152 | 12.2% |
| 2007 | 69,461 | 11.0% |
| 2008 | 73,831 | 7.9% |
| 2009 | 82,516 | 8.5% |
| 2010 | 79,755 | 9.9% |
| 2011 | 111,275 | 8.0% |
| 2012 | 93,294 | 7.0% |
| 2013 | 79,022 | 6.3% |
| 2014 | 93,818 | 5.7% |
| 2015 | 93,887 | 4.6% |
| 2016 | 88,790 | 3.8% |
| 2017 | 80,941 | 2.9% |
| 2018 | 63,334 | 1.9% |
| 2019 | 34,118 | 1.5% |
| 2020 | 20,031 | 1.4% |
| 2021 | 8,537 | 1.8% |
| 2022 | 2,868 | 2.1% |
| 2023 | 308 | 0.7% |
Methodology & source. 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.