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Volkswagen Karman vs Volkswagen Passat: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Volkswagen Karman
78%
MOT pass rate · 35 vehicles
More reliable
Volkswagen Passat
74%
MOT pass rate · 601,376 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Karman is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Volkswagen Karman Volkswagen Passat
MOT pass rate 78% ✓ 74%
MOT failure rate 22% ✓ 26%
Faults & advisories per test 1.5 ✓ 2.0
Dangerous-fault share 1% ✓ 2%
Average mileage 51,014 mi 147,486 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 35 601,376

Most common faults

Volkswagen Karman

  1. Oil leak
  2. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  3. Horn not working (1.6.2a)
  4. Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
  5. Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)
  6. rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Volkswagen Passat

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  4. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Under-trays fitted obscuring some underside components
  6. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Karman is the more reliable of the two — 78% pass first time versus 74%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Volkswagen Karman 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.