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Volkswagen Passat vs Volkswagen T3 beetle: reliability comparison

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

Volkswagen Passat
74%
MOT pass rate · 601,376 vehicles
Volkswagen T3 beetle
100%
MOT pass rate · 1 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Volkswagen Passat (74%) and Volkswagen T3 beetle (100%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Volkswagen Passat Volkswagen T3 beetle
MOT pass rate 74% 100% ✓
MOT failure rate 26% 0% ✓
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 0.7 ✓
Dangerous-fault share 2% 0% ✓
Average mileage 147,486 mi 31,745 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 601,376 1

Most common faults

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))

Volkswagen T3 beetle

  1. offside front tyre sidewall perished/cracked
  2. Offside Front Lower Torque/reaction arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)
  3. Offside Front Upper Torque/reaction arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)
  4. Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  5. Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))
  6. Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Volkswagen Passat (74%) and Volkswagen T3 beetle (100%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Volkswagen Passat report Full Volkswagen T3 beetle 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.