1960 Volkswagen Beetle — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1960 perform at MOT as they age

66 years

Current Age

78.5%

Latest Pass Rate

462

Total Tests (All Years)

40,842 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 1960 Volkswagen Beetle as it ages.

49 yrs79.6%

→ ↓22.5%

50 yrs57.1%

→ ↓1.3%

51 yrs55.8%

→ ↑9.6%

52 yrs65.4%

→ ↑5.2%

53 yrs70.6%

→ ↓4.6%

54 yrs66.0%

→ ↑16.8%

55 yrs82.8%

→ ↑3.2%

56 yrs86.0%

→ ↓7.5%

57 yrs78.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
49 yrs	79.6%	49
50 yrs	57.1%	42
51 yrs	55.8%	52
52 yrs	65.4%	52
53 yrs	70.6%	51
54 yrs	66.0%	50
55 yrs	82.8%	58
56 yrs	86.0%	43
57 yrs	78.5%	65

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1960 Volkswagen Beetle pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (57 yrs)	78.5%	65
2016 (56 yrs)	86%	43
2015 (55 yrs)	82.8%	58
2014 (54 yrs)	66%	50
2013 (53 yrs)	70.6%	51
2012 (52 yrs)	65.4%	52
2011 (51 yrs)	55.8%	52
2010 (50 yrs)	57.1%	42
2009 (49 yrs)	79.6%	49

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009

79.6%

Age (yrs) 49Tests 49Avg Mileage 40,014Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 14.3%

2010High Fail Rate

57.1%

Age (yrs) 50Tests 42Avg Mileage 47,520Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.0%

2011High Fail Rate

55.8%

Age (yrs) 51Tests 52Avg Mileage 41,788Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.8%

2012

65.4%

Age (yrs) 52Tests 52Avg Mileage 40,713Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.9%

2013

70.6%

Age (yrs) 53Tests 51Avg Mileage 47,386Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 37.3%

2014

66.0%

Age (yrs) 54Tests 50Avg Mileage 39,326Top Failure Brakes — 52.0%

2015

82.8%

Age (yrs) 55Tests 58Avg Mileage 46,908Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 41.4%

2016

86.0%

Age (yrs) 56Tests 43Avg Mileage 42,086Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.5%

2017

78.5%

Age (yrs) 57Tests 65Avg Mileage 40,842Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.2%

MOT results for 1960 Volkswagen Beetle by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	49	79.6%	49	40,014	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 14.3%
2010	50	57.1%	42	47,520	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.0%
2011	51	55.8%	52	41,788	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.8%
2012	52	65.4%	52	40,713	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.9%
2013	53	70.6%	51	47,386	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 37.3%
2014	54	66.0%	50	39,326	Brakes — 52.0%
2015	55	82.8%	58	46,908	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 41.4%
2016	56	86.0%	43	42,086	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.5%
2017	57	78.5%	65	40,842	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 46.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1960 Volkswagen Beetle, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

34.3%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

21.7%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

21.5%

↑ Increases with age

Driver's View of the Road

12.9%

— Consistent

Body, Structure and General Items

8.8%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	14.3% (49 yrs)	46.2% (57 yrs)	+31.9%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	8.2% (49 yrs)	33.8% (57 yrs)	+25.6%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	4.1% (49 yrs)	20.0% (57 yrs)	+15.9%	🔴 ↑
Tyres	6.1% (49 yrs)	6.2% (57 yrs)	+0.1%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Beetle cars manufactured in 1960 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 462 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.