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1979 Volkswagen Beetle — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1979 perform at MOT as they age

47 years
Current Age
77.4%
Latest Pass Rate
961
Total Tests (All Years)
41,553 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 1979 Volkswagen Beetle as it ages.

30 yrs45.5%
31 yrs60.2%
32 yrs57.8%
33 yrs61.4%
34 yrs67.3%
35 yrs69.2%
36 yrs58.3%
37 yrs64.6%
38 yrs68.4%
39 yrs68.7%
40 yrs83.3%
41 yrs77.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 30 to 41 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
30 yrs45.5%88
31 yrs60.2%88
32 yrs57.8%90
33 yrs61.4%88
34 yrs67.3%98
35 yrs69.2%78
36 yrs58.3%84
37 yrs64.6%79
38 yrs68.4%98
39 yrs68.7%67
40 yrs83.3%72
41 yrs77.4%31

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1979 Volkswagen Beetle pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 12 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2020 (41 yrs)77.4%31
2019 (40 yrs)83.3%72
2018 (39 yrs)68.7%67
2017 (38 yrs)68.4%98
2016 (37 yrs)64.6%79
2015 (36 yrs)58.3%84
2014 (35 yrs)69.2%78
2013 (34 yrs)67.3%98
2012 (33 yrs)61.4%88
2011 (32 yrs)57.8%90
2010 (31 yrs)60.2%88
2009 (30 yrs)45.5%88

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
45.5%
Age (yrs) 30Tests 88Avg Mileage 52,654Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.0%
2010High Fail Rate
60.2%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 88Avg Mileage 46,068Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.1%
2011High Fail Rate
57.8%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 90Avg Mileage 46,437Top Failure Brakes — 23.3%
2012High Fail Rate
61.4%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 88Avg Mileage 44,190Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 25.0%
2013
67.3%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 98Avg Mileage 46,908Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 34.7%
2014
69.2%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 78Avg Mileage 50,759Top Failure Brakes — 51.3%
2015High Fail Rate
58.3%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 84Avg Mileage 49,997Top Failure Suspension — 54.8%
2016High Fail Rate
64.6%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 79Avg Mileage 46,806Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 59.5%
2017
68.4%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 98Avg Mileage 47,540Top Failure Suspension — 29.6%
2018
68.7%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 67Avg Mileage 46,942Top Failure Brakes — 37.3%
2019
83.3%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 72Avg Mileage 47,236Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 18.1%
2020
77.4%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 31Avg Mileage 41,553Top Failure Body, chassis, structure — 25.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1979 Volkswagen Beetle, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
29.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
27.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
21.6%
↓ Decreases with age
Driver's View of the Road
19.8%
↑ Increases with age
Visibility
17.5%
— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes30.7% (30 yrs)19.4% (41 yrs)
-11.3%
🟢 ↓
Suspension23.9% (30 yrs)12.9% (41 yrs)
-11.0%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1984 1985 1989 1990 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
← Back to Volkswagen Beetle overview

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 1979 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2020, covering 961 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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