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1971 Volkswagen Bettle — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years
Current Age
48.4%
Latest Pass Rate
206
Total Tests (All Years)
46,118 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for Bettle

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1971 Volkswagen Bettle as it ages.

38 yrs60.6%
39 yrs50.0%
41 yrs60.6%
42 yrs58.1%
43 yrs56.3%
44 yrs48.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 38 to 44 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
38 yrs60.6%33
39 yrs50.0%34
41 yrs60.6%33
42 yrs58.1%43
43 yrs56.3%32
44 yrs48.4%31

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows declining over 6 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2015 (44 yrs)48.4%31
2014 (43 yrs)56.3%32
2013 (42 yrs)58.1%43
2012 (41 yrs)60.6%33
2010 (39 yrs)50%34
2009 (38 yrs)60.6%33

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
60.6%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 33Avg Mileage 42,596Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 39.4%
2010High Fail Rate
50.0%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 34Avg Mileage 44,153Top Failure Brakes — 32.4%
2012High Fail Rate
60.6%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 33Avg Mileage 45,384Top Failure Suspension — 30.3%
2013High Fail Rate
58.1%
Age (yrs) 42Tests 43Avg Mileage 50,162Top Failure Suspension — 95.3%
2014High Fail Rate
56.3%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 32Avg Mileage 49,216Top Failure Brakes — 62.5%
2015High Fail Rate
48.4%
Age (yrs) 44Tests 31Avg Mileage 46,118Top Failure Suspension — 77.4%

Common MOT Failures

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

Suspension
53.2%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
46.3%
↑ Increases with age
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
43.4%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
26.6%
↑ Increases with age
Body, Structure and General Items
23.5%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension27.3% (38 yrs)77.4% (44 yrs)
+50.1%
🔴 ↑
Brakes21.2% (38 yrs)67.7% (44 yrs)
+46.5%
🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment39.4% (38 yrs)67.7% (44 yrs)
+28.3%
🔴 ↑
Body, Structure and General Items15.2% (38 yrs)29.0% (44 yrs)
+13.8%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road18.2% (38 yrs)16.1% (44 yrs)
-2.1%
🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Bettle cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2015, covering 206 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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