1981 Volkswagen T25 — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years

Current Age

50.0%

Latest Pass Rate

423

Total Tests (All Years)

65,165 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 1981 Volkswagen T25 as it ages.

28 yrs40.0%

→ ↑4.9%

29 yrs44.9%

→ ↑10.7%

30 yrs55.6%

→ ↓9.4%

31 yrs46.2%

→ ↑1.9%

32 yrs48.1%

→ ↑3.0%

33 yrs51.1%

→ ↓22.8%

34 yrs28.3%

→ ↑28.5%

35 yrs56.8%

→ ↓6.8%

36 yrs50.0%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
28 yrs	40.0%	45
29 yrs	44.9%	49
30 yrs	55.6%	45
31 yrs	46.2%	52
32 yrs	48.1%	54
33 yrs	51.1%	45
34 yrs	28.3%	53
35 yrs	56.8%	44
36 yrs	50.0%	36

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 Volkswagen T25 pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (36 yrs)	50%	36
2016 (35 yrs)	56.8%	44
2015 (34 yrs)	28.3%	53
2014 (33 yrs)	51.1%	45
2013 (32 yrs)	48.1%	54
2012 (31 yrs)	46.2%	52
2011 (30 yrs)	55.6%	45
2010 (29 yrs)	44.9%	49
2009 (28 yrs)	40%	45

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

40.0%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 45Avg Mileage 71,616Top Failure Brakes — 44.4%

2010High Fail Rate

44.9%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 49Avg Mileage 67,854Top Failure Brakes — 30.6%

2011High Fail Rate

55.6%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 45Avg Mileage 60,739Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.7%

2012High Fail Rate

46.2%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 52Avg Mileage 65,905Top Failure Suspension — 40.4%

2013High Fail Rate

48.1%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 54Avg Mileage 69,211Top Failure Suspension — 87.0%

2014High Fail Rate

51.1%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 45Avg Mileage 61,954Top Failure Suspension — 88.9%

2015High Fail Rate

28.3%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 53Avg Mileage 68,328Top Failure Suspension — 88.7%

2016High Fail Rate

56.8%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 44Avg Mileage 71,914Top Failure Suspension — 72.7%

2017High Fail Rate

50.0%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 36Avg Mileage 65,165Top Failure Suspension — 102.8%

MOT results for 1981 Volkswagen T25 by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	28	40.0%	45	71,616	Brakes — 44.4%
2010	29	44.9%	49	67,854	Brakes — 30.6%
2011	30	55.6%	45	60,739	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 26.7%
2012	31	46.2%	52	65,905	Suspension — 40.4%
2013	32	48.1%	54	69,211	Suspension — 87.0%
2014	33	51.1%	45	61,954	Suspension — 88.9%
2015	34	28.3%	53	68,328	Suspension — 88.7%
2016	35	56.8%	44	71,914	Suspension — 72.7%
2017	36	50.0%	36	65,165	Suspension — 102.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Volkswagen T25, with age trends.

Suspension

61.8%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

48.5%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

43.8%

↑ Increases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

33.3%

— Consistent

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

22.7%

↑ 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	33.3% (28 yrs)	102.8% (36 yrs)	+69.5%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	35.6% (28 yrs)	66.7% (36 yrs)	+31.1%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	17.8% (28 yrs)	27.8% (36 yrs)	+10.0%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	44.4% (28 yrs)	52.8% (36 yrs)	+8.4%	🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1987 1989 1990

← Back to Volkswagen T25 overview

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Volkswagen T25 page →

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen T25 cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 423 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.