1985 Volkswagen Transporter 78ps — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age

41 years

Current Age

51.8%

Latest Pass Rate

1,413

Total Tests (All Years)

77,412 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 1985 Volkswagen Transporter 78ps as it ages.

24 yrs48.5%

→ ↓1.6%

25 yrs46.9%

→ ↑3.6%

26 yrs50.5%

→ ↓2.5%

27 yrs48.0%

→ ↓1.7%

28 yrs46.3%

→ ↑7.3%

29 yrs53.6%

→ ↑0.9%

30 yrs54.5%

→ ↓2.7%

31 yrs51.8%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
24 yrs	48.5%	206
25 yrs	46.9%	177
26 yrs	50.5%	188
27 yrs	48.0%	175
28 yrs	46.3%	164
29 yrs	53.6%	166
30 yrs	54.5%	167
31 yrs	51.8%	170

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1985 Volkswagen Transporter 78ps pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2016 (31 yrs)	51.8%	170
2015 (30 yrs)	54.5%	167
2014 (29 yrs)	53.6%	166
2013 (28 yrs)	46.3%	164
2012 (27 yrs)	48%	175
2011 (26 yrs)	50.5%	188
2010 (25 yrs)	46.9%	177
2009 (24 yrs)	48.5%	206

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

48.5%

Age (yrs) 24Tests 206Avg Mileage 63,678Top Failure Brakes — 30.1%

2010High Fail Rate

46.9%

Age (yrs) 25Tests 177Avg Mileage 64,858Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.4%

2011High Fail Rate

50.5%

Age (yrs) 26Tests 188Avg Mileage 64,506Top Failure Brakes — 29.8%

2012High Fail Rate

48.0%

Age (yrs) 27Tests 175Avg Mileage 66,606Top Failure Brakes — 32.6%

2013High Fail Rate

46.3%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 164Avg Mileage 65,068Top Failure Suspension — 70.1%

2014High Fail Rate

53.6%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 166Avg Mileage 78,278Top Failure Brakes — 73.5%

2015High Fail Rate

54.5%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 167Avg Mileage 66,945Top Failure Suspension — 61.1%

2016High Fail Rate

51.8%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 170Avg Mileage 77,412Top Failure Suspension — 68.2%

MOT results for 1985 Volkswagen Transporter 78ps by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	24	48.5%	206	63,678	Brakes — 30.1%
2010	25	46.9%	177	64,858	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 29.4%
2011	26	50.5%	188	64,506	Brakes — 29.8%
2012	27	48.0%	175	66,606	Brakes — 32.6%
2013	28	46.3%	164	65,068	Suspension — 70.1%
2014	29	53.6%	166	78,278	Brakes — 73.5%
2015	30	54.5%	167	66,945	Suspension — 61.1%
2016	31	51.8%	170	77,412	Suspension — 68.2%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1985 Volkswagen Transporter 78ps, with age trends.

Suspension

48.0%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

46.1%

↑ Increases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

40.6%

↑ Increases with age

Body, Structure and General Items

26.2%

— Consistent

Steering

20.2%

↓ Decreases 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	29.1% (24 yrs)	68.2% (31 yrs)	+39.1%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	30.1% (24 yrs)	55.3% (31 yrs)	+25.2%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	30.1% (24 yrs)	52.9% (31 yrs)	+22.8%	🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road	11.2% (24 yrs)	16.5% (31 yrs)	+5.3%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	15.0% (24 yrs)	15.3% (31 yrs)	+0.3%	⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990

← Back to Volkswagen Transporter 78ps overview

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About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Transporter 78ps cars manufactured in 1985 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 1,413 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.