Volkswagen Atlas vs Volkswagen Passat: reliability comparison
MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.
Volkswagen Atlas
85%
MOT pass rate · 100 vehicles
More reliable
Volkswagen Passat
74%
MOT pass rate · 601,376 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Atlas is the more reliable of the two — 85% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.
Head to head
| Measure | Volkswagen Atlas | Volkswagen Passat |
|---|---|---|
| MOT pass rate | 85% ✓ | 74% |
| MOT failure rate | 15% ✓ | 26% |
| Faults & advisories per test | 0.8 ✓ | 2.0 |
| Dangerous-fault share | 3% | 2% ✓ |
| Average mileage | 34,169 mi | 147,486 mi |
| Sample size (vehicles) | 100 | 601,376 |
Most common faults
Volkswagen Atlas
- Offside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
- Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt
- Headlamp aim too high Both Sides (4.1.2 (a))
- Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
- Rear fog lamp switch missing (4.5.3 (a))
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Volkswagen Passat
- Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
- Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
Reliability FAQ
On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Atlas is the more reliable of the two — 85% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.
Full Volkswagen Atlas report Full Volkswagen Passat report Most reliable cars
Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.