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1971 Volkswagen 1300 Beetle — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years
Current Age
65.8%
Latest Pass Rate
6,591
Total Tests (All Years)
49,077 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1971 Volkswagen 1300 Beetle as it ages.

38 yrs49.2%
39 yrs50.0%
40 yrs52.4%
41 yrs53.0%
42 yrs55.4%
43 yrs59.4%
44 yrs60.9%
45 yrs65.8%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 38 to 45 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
38 yrs49.2%899
39 yrs50.0%816
40 yrs52.4%864
41 yrs53.0%823
42 yrs55.4%816
43 yrs59.4%827
44 yrs60.9%809
45 yrs65.8%737

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Volkswagen 1300 Beetle pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (45 yrs)65.8%737
2015 (44 yrs)60.9%809
2014 (43 yrs)59.4%827
2013 (42 yrs)55.4%816
2012 (41 yrs)53%823
2011 (40 yrs)52.4%864
2010 (39 yrs)50%816
2009 (38 yrs)49.2%899

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
49.2%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 899Avg Mileage 47,689Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 34.8%
2010High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 816Avg Mileage 50,797Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.6%
2011High Fail Rate
52.4%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 864Avg Mileage 49,601Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.1%
2012High Fail Rate
53.0%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 823Avg Mileage 48,255Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.1%
2013High Fail Rate
55.4%
Age (yrs) 42Tests 816Avg Mileage 50,351Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 79.8%
2014High Fail Rate
59.4%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 827Avg Mileage 46,143Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 67.5%
2015High Fail Rate
60.9%
Age (yrs) 44Tests 809Avg Mileage 48,537Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 71.7%
2016
65.8%
Age (yrs) 45Tests 737Avg Mileage 49,077Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 51.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Volkswagen 1300 Beetle, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
50.2%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
43.7%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
36.2%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
16.5%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
16.3%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment34.8% (38 yrs)51.2% (45 yrs)
+16.4%
🔴 ↑
Suspension29.6% (38 yrs)42.2% (45 yrs)
+12.6%
🔴 ↑
Brakes27.3% (38 yrs)33.6% (45 yrs)
+6.3%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road17.1% (38 yrs)14.7% (45 yrs)
-2.4%
🟢 ↓
Body, Structure and General Items11.2% (38 yrs)13.4% (45 yrs)
+2.2%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Volkswagen 1300 Beetle page →

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen 1300 Beetle cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 6,591 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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