2005 Volkswagen Phaeton — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton passed 78.8% of its 325 recorded MOT tests. All cars of a similar age fail 27.6% of the time, so this is 6.3pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (10.5%) and lighting & signalling (8.0%) 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 18 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 28.2% in the 60-90k band and 12.7% in the 150k+ band, a 15.5-point spread.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 26.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 17.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 10.5% | 34 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.0% | 26 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.5% | 21 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.0% | 13 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 11 |
| 6 | Suspension | 3.1% | 10 |
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 | 18 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 11 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 11 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 10 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 9 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 9 |
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 | 26.8% | 87 |
| 2 | Brakes | 24.3% | 79 |
| 3 | Suspension | 16.6% | 54 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 8.6% | 28 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.4% | 24 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 22 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 60-90k | 39 | 28.2% |
| 90-120k | 111 | 23.4% |
| 120-150k | 105 | 21.9% |
| 150k+ | 63 | 12.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 246 | 21.1% |
| Petrol | 79 | 21.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 88 | 17.1% |
| 2022 | 83 | 26.5% |
| 2023 | 63 | 14.3% |
| 2024 | 49 | 28.6% |
| 2025 | 42 | 21.4% |
What to check before buying a 2005 Phaeton
On a 2005 Phaeton, brakes is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 10.5% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Brakes (10.5% 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 (8.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.5% 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 2005 Volkswagen Phaetons pass their MOT?
78.8% of the 325 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 21.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2005 Volkswagen Phaeton?
Brakes, recorded in 10.5% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.0%).
Does the 2005 Phaeton get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 28.2% in the 60-90k band to 12.7% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 325 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.