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1997 Volkswagen 1200 Swb — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
66.7%
Latest Pass Rate
469
Total Tests (All Years)
58,341 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Compared to Average at Age 19

This car: 66.7%
Average: 55.4%

✅ 11.3% above average (7550 models compared)

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1997 Volkswagen 1200 Swb as it ages.

12 yrs77.8%
13 yrs66.1%
14 yrs80.7%
15 yrs67.2%
16 yrs69.5%
17 yrs75.4%
18 yrs63.8%
19 yrs66.7%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 19 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs77.8%63
13 yrs66.1%56
14 yrs80.7%57
15 yrs67.2%58
16 yrs69.5%59
17 yrs75.4%61
18 yrs63.8%58
19 yrs66.7%57

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Volkswagen 1200 Swb pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows declining over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (19 yrs)66.7%57
2015 (18 yrs)63.8%58
2014 (17 yrs)75.4%61
2013 (16 yrs)69.5%59
2012 (15 yrs)67.2%58
2011 (14 yrs)80.7%57
2010 (13 yrs)66.1%56
2009 (12 yrs)77.8%63

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009
77.8%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 63Avg Mileage 43,964Top Failure Suspension — 6.3%
2010
66.1%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 56Avg Mileage 44,936Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.2%
2011
80.7%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 57Avg Mileage 45,962Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 8.8%
2012
67.2%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 58Avg Mileage 48,872Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 19.0%
2013
69.5%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 59Avg Mileage 51,267Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.9%
2014
75.4%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 61Avg Mileage 52,992Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 23.0%
2015High Fail Rate
63.8%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 58Avg Mileage 56,363Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.3%
2016
66.7%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 57Avg Mileage 58,341Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 22.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Volkswagen 1200 Swb, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
20.6%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
13.2%
↑ Increases with age
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions
10.4%
↑ Increases with age
Driver's View of the Road
8.9%
— Consistent
Suspension
8.0%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment4.8% (12 yrs)22.8% (19 yrs)
+18.0%
🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions4.8% (12 yrs)21.1% (19 yrs)
+16.3%
🔴 ↑
Brakes6.3% (12 yrs)15.8% (19 yrs)
+9.5%
🔴 ↑
Suspension6.3% (12 yrs)7.0% (19 yrs)
+0.7%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Volkswagen 1200 Swb page →

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen 1200 Swb cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 469 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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