Volkswagen Passat Cc MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 65,181 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 24.6%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Volkswagen Passat Cc MOT Reliability Overview
The Volkswagen Passat Cc is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 65,181 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 75.4% and a failure rate of 24.6%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Volkswagen Passat Cc earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Volkswagen Passat Cc presents for MOT with approximately 74,341 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 2013 models achieve the highest pass rate at 82.6%, while 2002 models have the lowest at 51.2%. This 31.4 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Volkswagen Passat Cc is Tyres, affecting 23.3% of all tests. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. The second most common issue is Suspension at 14.4%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 12.2%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
Based on MOT data, 2012 models have the highest pass rate at 75.5%.
Based on 2019 MOT test results only — the most recent data available. "Built" = year of manufacture. Cars need their first MOT at 3 years old, so the newest cars shown are from ~3 years ago.
Bar chart showing pass rate by manufacture year from 2009 to 2012
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Tracking how each manufacture year's MOT pass rate changes as the car ages. Showing 5 vintages — click year chips to highlight.
Multi-line chart showing how different Volkswagen Passat Cc vintages degrade over time, from age 2 to 20 years.
Only vintages with 100+ tests in at least 3 different test years are shown. Fleet average is the UK-wide pass rate for all cars at each age.
📉 How Age Affects Reliability
MOT failure rate by vehicle age for the Volkswagen Passat Cc. The dashed red line marks when the manufacturer warranty typically expires (3 years).
Line chart showing MOT failure rate by vehicle age from 3 to 11 years, with warranty expiry marked at 3 years.
💡 What does the warranty cliff mean?
The Volkswagen Passat Cc ages relatively gracefully. The failure rate increase of 7% after warranty is below average, suggesting good long-term reliability. Peak failure occurs at age 11 (36.0% fail rate).
Note: pass rates may improve for very old vehicles due to survivorship bias — only well-maintained cars remain on the road.
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.9% | 15,584 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 15.1% | 9,882 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.5% | 9,478 |
| 4 | Brakes | 12.1% | 7,882 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 3.6% | 2,371 |
| 6 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.4% | 907 |
| 7 | Non-component Advisories | 1.3% | 823 |
| 8 | Road Wheels | 1.0% | 620 |
| 9 | Visibility | 0.8% | 526 |
| 10 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 0.5% | 344 |
| 11 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 0.5% | 295 |
| 12 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 0.4% | 245 |
| 13 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.4% | 229 |
| 14 | Steering | 0.3% | 186 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 74,341 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 3.22 | 23.9% | 15,584 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 2.03 | 15.1% | 9,882 |
| Suspension | 1.96 | 14.5% | 9,478 |
| Brakes | 1.63 | 12.1% | 7,882 |
| Visibility | 0.60 | 4.4% | 2,897 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.19 | 1.4% | 907 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.17 | 1.3% | 823 |
| Wheels | 0.13 | 1.0% | 620 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.07 | 0.5% | 344 |
| Body & Structure | 0.06 | 0.5% | 295 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.05 | 0.4% | 245 |
| Seat Belts | 0.05 | 0.4% | 229 |
| Steering | 0.04 | 0.3% | 186 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Volkswagen Passat Cc has 74,341 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Volkswagen Passat Cc has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.31% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Volkswagen Passat Cc MOT Data
The Volkswagen Passat Cc is a moderately popular vehicle in the UK, with 65,181 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 12 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 75.4% and a failure rate of 24.6%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Volkswagen Passat Cc owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on tyres and suspension for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Passat Cc is likely to perform.
Tyres — 23.3% of failures
Tyres issues account for 23.3% of MOT failures on the Volkswagen Passat Cc. Tyre failures include tread depth below the legal minimum of 1.6mm, cuts, bulges, exposed cords, and incorrect tyre pressure. Tyres are one of the most common and easiest-to-prevent MOT failures. Typical repair costs: £50–200 per tyre. Pre-MOT check: Check tread depth with a 20p coin — if the outer band is visible, the tyre is too worn. Look for bulges, cuts, or embedded objects. Ensure all tyres match the recommended size and load rating.
Suspension — 14.4% of failures
Suspension issues account for 14.4% of MOT failures on the Volkswagen Passat Cc. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 12.2% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 12.2% of MOT failures on the Volkswagen Passat Cc. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Passat Cc?
Based on 65,181 MOT tests in our database, the Volkswagen Passat Cc has an overall pass rate of 75.4% (24.6% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Passat Cc?
The top 3 reasons a Volkswagen Passat Cc fails its MOT are: 1. Tyres (23.3%), 2. Suspension (14.4%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (12.2%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Volkswagen Passat Cc reliable?
With a 24.6% MOT failure rate, the Passat Cc is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Volkswagen Passat Cc?
Based on failure data, focus on: Tyres (23.3%); Suspension (14.4%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (12.2%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.