2025 MOT results
Volkswagen Jetta common problems
The most common reason a Volkswagen Jetta fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 16.9% of its 4,004 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: worn suspension bushes at 10.8% of failures against 5.2% expected; a split joint boot at 6.8% of failures against 3.8% expected; a broken coil spring at 16.9% of failures against 10.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 11,389 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 35.2% 4,004 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.6% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 62.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volkswagen Jetta MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volkswagen Jetta tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 16.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 10.8% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.2% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.3% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.0% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.8% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 6.4% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.0% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.3% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 4.9% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
16.9% of failures 10.0% expected 1.7 times as often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Worn suspension bushes
10.8% of failures 5.2% expected 2.1 times as often
Worn rubber bushes in a suspension arm, letting the arm move under load.
Perished or cracked rubber at the inner ends of the lower arms, visible with the wheel turned.
-
Split joint boot
9.2% of failures 5.6% expected 1.6 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Engine management light on
8.2% of failures 5.6% expected 1.5 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.3% of failures 7.5% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Sidelight out
7.0% of failures 11.1% expected 1.7 times less often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Volkswagen Jetta, on 46.8% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 38.2%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 46.8% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 31.9% |
| Brakes | 23.8% |
| Tyres | 20.1% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.6% |
| Visibility | 11.4% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 8.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
62.3% of Volkswagen Jetta tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volkswagen Jettas, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 22.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 13.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 12.6% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 9.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.6% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 6.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 5.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 4.4% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 3.8% |
| Headlamp: product on the lens but not seriously reducing light output Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Volkswagen Jetta problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volkswagen Jetta?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 16.9% of failed Volkswagen Jetta tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 46.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Volkswagen Jetta fail its MOT?
35.2% of Volkswagen Jetta tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 11,389 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 54 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volkswagen Jetta than on other cars?
Yes. “Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn” appears on 10.8% of its failures against 5.2% for cars of the same age, and “Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.8% of its failures against 3.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Volkswagen Jetta aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 11,389 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.