1978 Volkswagen Camper Van — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years

Current Age

50.9%

Latest Pass Rate

440

Total Tests (All Years)

50,842 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 1978 Volkswagen Camper Van as it ages.

31 yrs44.7%

→ ↑4.2%

32 yrs48.9%

→ ↑1.1%

33 yrs50.0%

→ ↑7.4%

34 yrs57.4%

→ ↓8.4%

35 yrs49.0%

→ ↑2.0%

36 yrs51.0%

→ ↑4.3%

37 yrs55.3%

→ ↑12.8%

38 yrs68.1%

→ ↓17.2%

39 yrs50.9%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
31 yrs	44.7%	47
32 yrs	48.9%	45
33 yrs	50.0%	50
34 yrs	57.4%	47
35 yrs	49.0%	49
36 yrs	51.0%	51
37 yrs	55.3%	47
38 yrs	68.1%	47
39 yrs	50.9%	57

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1978 Volkswagen Camper Van pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (39 yrs)	50.9%	57
2016 (38 yrs)	68.1%	47
2015 (37 yrs)	55.3%	47
2014 (36 yrs)	51%	51
2013 (35 yrs)	49%	49
2012 (34 yrs)	57.4%	47
2011 (33 yrs)	50%	50
2010 (32 yrs)	48.9%	45
2009 (31 yrs)	44.7%	47

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

44.7%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 47Avg Mileage 52,529Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.9%

2010High Fail Rate

48.9%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 45Avg Mileage 58,397Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.1%

2011High Fail Rate

50.0%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 50Avg Mileage 56,730Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 32.0%

2012High Fail Rate

57.4%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 47Avg Mileage 54,133Top Failure Suspension — 29.8%

2013High Fail Rate

49.0%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 49Avg Mileage 52,213Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 73.5%

2014High Fail Rate

51.0%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 51Avg Mileage 51,403Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 56.9%

2015High Fail Rate

55.3%

Age (yrs) 37Tests 47Avg Mileage 53,157Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 63.8%

2016

68.1%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 47Avg Mileage 54,776Top Failure Brakes — 31.9%

2017High Fail Rate

50.9%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 57Avg Mileage 50,842Top Failure Suspension — 71.9%

MOT results for 1978 Volkswagen Camper Van by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	31	44.7%	47	52,529	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.9%
2010	32	48.9%	45	58,397	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 31.1%
2011	33	50.0%	50	56,730	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 32.0%
2012	34	57.4%	47	54,133	Suspension — 29.8%
2013	35	49.0%	49	52,213	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 73.5%
2014	36	51.0%	51	51,403	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 56.9%
2015	37	55.3%	47	53,157	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 63.8%
2016	38	68.1%	47	54,776	Brakes — 31.9%
2017	39	50.9%	57	50,842	Suspension — 71.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1978 Volkswagen Camper Van, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

45.2%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

38.0%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

37.1%

↑ Increases with age

Steering

27.6%

↓ Decreases with age

Driver's View of the Road

25.5%

↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Suspension	21.3% (31 yrs)	71.9% (39 yrs)	+50.6%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	31.9% (31 yrs)	66.7% (39 yrs)	+34.8%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	31.9% (31 yrs)	63.2% (39 yrs)	+31.3%	🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road	27.7% (31 yrs)	33.3% (39 yrs)	+5.6%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1965 1966 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1990

← Back to Volkswagen Camper Van overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Camper Van cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 440 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.