Volkswagen Phaeton MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 18 model years and 5,794 tests, the Volkswagen Phaeton passes its MOT 82.5% of the time. That is 7.0 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 24.5%. Its most common failure areas are brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (7.1%) and lighting & signalling (6.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — service brake performance alone was recorded 171 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 20.3% versus 5.9%.
The diesel cars hold up better: 17.2% fail against 20.7% for petrol, a 3.5-point gap across 5,788 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Phaeton model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 105 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2004 | 272 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Brakes |
| 2005 | 325 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Brakes |
| 2006 | 524 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 658 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 606 | 81.3% | 18.6% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 706 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 522 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Brakes |
| 2011 | 888 | 84.4% | 15.7% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 507 | 86.2% | 13.8% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 484 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Brakes |
| 2014 | 150 | 89.3% | 10.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 46 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 7.1% | 414 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.2% | 359 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.1% | 352 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 197 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 190 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 142 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 82 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 62 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 171 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 154 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 148 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 147 |
| 5 | Washers | 121 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 119 |
| 7 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 111 |
| 8 | Wipers | 81 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 25.3% | 1,466 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.8% | 1,202 |
| 3 | Suspension | 15.1% | 875 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.6% | 554 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.2% | 357 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.1% | 354 |
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 | 85 | 5.9% |
| 30-60k | 553 | 12.1% |
| 60-90k | 1,190 | 16.1% |
| 90-120k | 1,612 | 17.9% |
| 120-150k | 1,233 | 19.3% |
| 150k+ | 1,116 | 20.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 5,280 | 17.2% |
| Petrol | 508 | 20.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,430 | 17.6% |
| 2022 | 1,305 | 16.6% |
| 2023 | 1,188 | 18.3% |
| 2024 | 983 | 17.5% |
| 2025 | 888 | 17.8% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Phaeton
- Brakes (7.1% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.1% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Phaeton?
82.5% of the 5,794 Volkswagen Phaeton MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.5% fail rate, across model years 2003–2020.
What does the Volkswagen Phaeton most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 7.1% of tests, then lighting & signalling (6.2%).
How much does mileage affect Phaeton MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 20.3% for 150k+, a 14.4-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Phaeton more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 17.2% of the time against 20.7% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,794 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.