1963 Volkswagen Beetle — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1963 perform at MOT as they age

63 years

Current Age

67.6%

Latest Pass Rate

952

Total Tests (All Years)

37,549 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 1963 Volkswagen Beetle as it ages.

46 yrs58.2%

→ ↓0.6%

47 yrs57.6%

→ ↓0.6%

48 yrs57.0%

→ ↑8.3%

49 yrs65.3%

→ ↓1.1%

50 yrs64.2%

→ ↑0.5%

51 yrs64.7%

→ ↑0.7%

52 yrs65.4%

→ ↓1.8%

53 yrs63.6%

→ ↑8.8%

54 yrs72.4%

→ ↓4.8%

55 yrs67.6%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
46 yrs	58.2%	98
47 yrs	57.6%	92
48 yrs	57.0%	107
49 yrs	65.3%	95
50 yrs	64.2%	95
51 yrs	64.7%	102
52 yrs	65.4%	107
53 yrs	63.6%	99
54 yrs	72.4%	123
55 yrs	67.6%	34

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2018 (55 yrs)	67.6%	34
2017 (54 yrs)	72.4%	123
2016 (53 yrs)	63.6%	99
2015 (52 yrs)	65.4%	107
2014 (51 yrs)	64.7%	102
2013 (50 yrs)	64.2%	95
2012 (49 yrs)	65.3%	95
2011 (48 yrs)	57%	107
2010 (47 yrs)	57.6%	92
2009 (46 yrs)	58.2%	98

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

58.2%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 98Avg Mileage 46,225Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.6%

2010High Fail Rate

57.6%

Age (yrs) 47Tests 92Avg Mileage 42,614Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.3%

2011High Fail Rate

57.0%

Age (yrs) 48Tests 107Avg Mileage 45,565Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.9%

2012

65.3%

Age (yrs) 49Tests 95Avg Mileage 48,332Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 24.2%

2013High Fail Rate

64.2%

Age (yrs) 50Tests 95Avg Mileage 47,173Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 61.1%

2014High Fail Rate

64.7%

Age (yrs) 51Tests 102Avg Mileage 45,888Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 61.8%

2015

65.4%

Age (yrs) 52Tests 107Avg Mileage 44,458Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 65.4%

2016High Fail Rate

63.6%

Age (yrs) 53Tests 99Avg Mileage 49,045Top Failure Suspension — 54.5%

2017

72.4%

Age (yrs) 54Tests 123Avg Mileage 46,113Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 52.0%

2018

67.6%

Age (yrs) 55Tests 34Avg Mileage 37,549Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 61.8%

MOT results for 1963 Volkswagen Beetle by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	46	58.2%	98	46,225	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 30.6%
2010	47	57.6%	92	42,614	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.3%
2011	48	57.0%	107	45,565	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.9%
2012	49	65.3%	95	48,332	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 24.2%
2013	50	64.2%	95	47,173	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 61.1%
2014	51	64.7%	102	45,888	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 61.8%
2015	52	65.4%	107	44,458	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 65.4%
2016	53	63.6%	99	49,045	Suspension — 54.5%
2017	54	72.4%	123	46,113	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 52.0%
2018	55	67.6%	34	37,549	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 61.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, with age trends.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

61.8%

— Consistent

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

43.3%

↓ Decreases with age

Suspension

30.0%

↓ Decreases with age

Brakes

27.1%

↑ Increases with age

Visibility

26.5%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	16.3% (46 yrs)	38.2% (55 yrs)	+21.9%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	21.4% (46 yrs)	14.7% (55 yrs)	-6.7%	🟢 ↓
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	30.6% (46 yrs)	26.5% (55 yrs)	-4.1%	🟢 ↓

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 1963 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2018, covering 952 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.