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1997 Volkswagen Unclassified — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age

29 years
Current Age
56.4%
Latest Pass Rate
747
Total Tests (All Years)
138,972 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 1997 Volkswagen Unclassified as it ages.

12 yrs45.5%
13 yrs48.9%
14 yrs40.9%
15 yrs51.4%
16 yrs56.8%
17 yrs60.6%
18 yrs59.4%
19 yrs47.1%
26 yrs52.9%
27 yrs56.4%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 12 to 27 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
12 yrs45.5%200
13 yrs48.9%137
14 yrs40.9%115
15 yrs51.4%70
16 yrs56.8%37
17 yrs60.6%33
18 yrs59.4%32
19 yrs47.1%34
26 yrs52.9%34
27 yrs56.4%55

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1997 Volkswagen Unclassified pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 10 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2024 (27 yrs)56.4%55
2023 (26 yrs)52.9%34
2016 (19 yrs)47.1%34
2015 (18 yrs)59.4%32
2014 (17 yrs)60.6%33
2013 (16 yrs)56.8%37
2012 (15 yrs)51.4%70
2011 (14 yrs)40.9%115
2010 (13 yrs)48.9%137
2009 (12 yrs)45.5%200

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
45.5%
Age (yrs) 12Tests 200Avg Mileage 119,719Top Failure Brakes — 35.0%
2010High Fail Rate
48.9%
Age (yrs) 13Tests 137Avg Mileage 124,599Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 35.8%
2011High Fail Rate
40.9%
Age (yrs) 14Tests 115Avg Mileage 123,815Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 42.6%
2012High Fail Rate
51.4%
Age (yrs) 15Tests 70Avg Mileage 134,126Top Failure Suspension — 30.0%
2013High Fail Rate
56.8%
Age (yrs) 16Tests 37Avg Mileage 144,608Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 118.9%
2014High Fail Rate
60.6%
Age (yrs) 17Tests 33Avg Mileage 151,921Top Failure Suspension — 54.5%
2015High Fail Rate
59.4%
Age (yrs) 18Tests 32Avg Mileage 152,409Top Failure Brakes — 62.5%
2016High Fail Rate
47.1%
Age (yrs) 19Tests 34Avg Mileage 157,753Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 94.1%
2023High Fail Rate
52.9%
Age (yrs) 26Tests 34Avg Mileage 130,943Top Failure Brakes — 97.1%
2024High Fail Rate
56.4%
Age (yrs) 27Tests 55Avg Mileage 138,972Top Failure Brakes — 61.8%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1997 Volkswagen Unclassified, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
57.5%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
56.8%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
43.9%
— Consistent
Body, chassis, structure
39.2%
↓ Decreases with age
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
35.0%
↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Brakes35.0% (12 yrs)61.8% (27 yrs)
+26.8%
🔴 ↑
Tyres20.5% (12 yrs)21.8% (27 yrs)
+1.3%
⚪ —
Suspension34.5% (12 yrs)34.5% (27 yrs)
0.0%
⚪ —

Other Manufacture Years

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
← Back to Volkswagen Unclassified overview

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

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Unclassified cars manufactured in 1997 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2024, covering 747 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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