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1978 Volkswagen Delivery Van — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years
Current Age
78.4%
Latest Pass Rate
2,189
Total Tests (All Years)
49,495 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Best vintage for Delivery Van

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1978 Volkswagen Delivery Van as it ages.

31 yrs44.5%
32 yrs48.1%
33 yrs56.0%
34 yrs48.8%
35 yrs54.6%
36 yrs49.3%
37 yrs53.7%
38 yrs56.1%
39 yrs52.7%
40 yrs63.0%
41 yrs61.1%
42 yrs58.3%
43 yrs59.5%
44 yrs66.7%
45 yrs78.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 31 to 45 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
31 yrs44.5%218
32 yrs48.1%214
33 yrs56.0%225
34 yrs48.8%201
35 yrs54.6%216
36 yrs49.3%205
37 yrs53.7%190
38 yrs56.1%196
39 yrs52.7%182
40 yrs63.0%119
41 yrs61.1%72
42 yrs58.3%36
43 yrs59.5%42
44 yrs66.7%36
45 yrs78.4%37

Pass Rate Trend

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

Trend shows improving over 15 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2023 (45 yrs)78.4%37
2022 (44 yrs)66.7%36
2021 (43 yrs)59.5%42
2020 (42 yrs)58.3%36
2019 (41 yrs)61.1%72
2018 (40 yrs)63%119
2017 (39 yrs)52.7%182
2016 (38 yrs)56.1%196
2015 (37 yrs)53.7%190
2014 (36 yrs)49.3%205
2013 (35 yrs)54.6%216
2012 (34 yrs)48.8%201
2011 (33 yrs)56%225
2010 (32 yrs)48.1%214
2009 (31 yrs)44.5%218

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
44.5%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 218Avg Mileage 46,732Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 35.8%
2010High Fail Rate
48.1%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 214Avg Mileage 46,703Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 35.0%
2011High Fail Rate
56.0%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 225Avg Mileage 53,233Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 27.6%
2012High Fail Rate
48.8%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 201Avg Mileage 49,710Top Failure Suspension — 34.3%
2013High Fail Rate
54.6%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 216Avg Mileage 50,792Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 77.3%
2014High Fail Rate
49.3%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 205Avg Mileage 51,975Top Failure Suspension — 84.4%
2015High Fail Rate
53.7%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 190Avg Mileage 54,833Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 71.6%
2016High Fail Rate
56.1%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 196Avg Mileage 48,996Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 70.9%
2017High Fail Rate
52.7%
Age (yrs) 39Tests 182Avg Mileage 50,628Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 64.3%
2018High Fail Rate
63.0%
Age (yrs) 40Tests 119Avg Mileage 51,537Top Failure Suspension — 53.8%
2019High Fail Rate
61.1%
Age (yrs) 41Tests 72Avg Mileage 54,577Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 50.0%
2020High Fail Rate
58.3%
Age (yrs) 42Tests 36Avg Mileage 47,944Top Failure Suspension — 75.0%
2021High Fail Rate
59.5%
Age (yrs) 43Tests 42Avg Mileage 43,800Top Failure Brakes — 69.0%
2022
66.7%
Age (yrs) 44Tests 36Avg Mileage 48,583Top Failure Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment — 38.9%
2023
78.4%
Age (yrs) 45Tests 37Avg Mileage 49,495Top Failure Brakes — 32.4%

Common MOT Failures

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

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
50.9%
↓ Decreases with age
Suspension
44.8%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
42.1%
↓ Decreases with age
Brakes
40.1%
↑ Increases with age
Body, chassis, structure
29.2%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Suspension28.4% (31 yrs)18.9% (45 yrs)
-9.5%
🟢 ↓
Brakes27.1% (31 yrs)32.4% (45 yrs)
+5.3%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

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

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Delivery Van cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2023, covering 2,189 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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