How many Volkswagen Passats are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, how new registrations have changed and which fuels they use. Built from DVLA licensing records and 175,720 DVSA MOT tests.
Licensed in Great Britain162,927−7.6% on a year earlier
Declared SORN38,125Off the road, not taxed
MOT first-time pass rate, 202571.5%Cars of the same ages 69.6%
Rank by number licensedNo. 50of 1,159 models we cover
Peak year2011343,281 licensed
Average annual mileage9,236miles a year
How many Volkswagen Passats are left in Great Britain?
There were 162,927 Volkswagen Passats licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 38,125 declared off the road (SORN).
That is 52.5% fewer than the peak of 343,281 in 2011.
Volkswagen Passats licensed in Great Britain
Numbers peaked in 2011 and have fallen every year since, as older cars are scrapped faster than new ones are registered.
2 versions of the Volkswagen Passat have their own page.
The figures above include every version; each version page covers only the cars DVLA records
under that version’s name.
Versions of the Volkswagen Passat with their own page
In 2025, 71.5% of Volkswagen Passat MOT tests were passed first time,
against 72.8% for all cars.
Cars of the same ages as the Volkswagen Passats tested pass 69.6% of the time, so the Volkswagen Passat does better than average for its age, by 1.9 points. In 2024 its pass rate was 71.1%.
MOT first-time pass rate by age: Volkswagen Passat vs all cars
Comparing like with like: each bar pair covers cars of the same age, so an older average age does not count against a model.
0%
50%
100%
3 years
4–5 years
6–7 years
8–10 years
11–14 years
15–19 years
20+ years
Volkswagen Passat
All cars
MOT first-time pass rate by vehicle age, Volkswagen Passat compared with all cars
Suspension is the most common reason a Volkswagen Passat fails its MOT,
appearing on 42.8% of failed tests. A failed test can have defects in
more than one category, so shares add up to more than 100%.
9.0% of Volkswagen Passat tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 7.3% for all cars.
Most common MOT failure categories
Share of failed Volkswagen Passat MOT tests with at least one defect in each category
Most common Volkswagen Passat MOT defects and advisories
The single most common reason a Volkswagen Passat failed its MOT in 2025 was
“Coil spring: fractured or broken”, on 13.3% of 50,126 failed tests.
59.4% of tests ended with at least one advisory, a problem to watch that did not fail the test; the most common was “Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge”.
The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. A test can fail for more than one.
Most common specific MOT defects on failed Volkswagen Passat tests, 2025
Defect
Share of failed tests
Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension
13.3%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres
11.0%
Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks
9.8%
Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres
9.7%
Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension
9.6%
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension
7.8%
Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure
7.0%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes
6.7%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
6.0%
Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres
22 years of the Volkswagen Passat, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2009 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (62.6% passed first time) and the 2001 cars worst (58.8%).
Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left:
licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025.
Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great
Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.
Volkswagen Passat annual mileage
The average Volkswagen Passat covers 9,236 miles a year,
worked out from odometer readings at consecutive MOT tests.
Average annual mileage by age
0
5k
10k
15k
12,896
4–5 years
11,700
6–7 years
10,704
8–10 years
8,646
11–14 years
7,381
15–19 years
5,470
20+ years
Average annual mileage of a Volkswagen Passat by vehicle age
Of the 178,872 Volkswagen Passats licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 68.0% have an engine of 1,901cc to 2,000cc, and 13.6% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc. The share with an engine of 1,801cc to 1,900cc has fallen from 34.9% in 2014 to 6.4%. Plug-in hybrids made up 0.0% of those licensed in 2014 and 5.1% in 2025.
Engine sizes, end of 2025
DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.
Volkswagen Passats licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size
Share of those licensed
1,901cc to 2,000cc 121,716 licensed
68.0%
1,501cc to 1,600cc 24,402 licensed
13.6%
1,801cc to 1,900cc 11,437 licensed
6.4%
1,401cc to 1,500cc 9,591 licensed
5.4%
1,301cc to 1,400cc 8,706 licensed
4.9%
1,701cc to 1,800cc 1,823 licensed
1.0%
Other sizes 1,197 licensed
0.7%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size
Fuel
Licensed
Share
1,901–2,000cc
Diesel
119,317
66.7%
1,501–1,600cc
Diesel
24,236
13.5%
1,801–1,900cc
Diesel
11,321
6.3%
1,301–1,400cc
Plug-in hybrid
6,394
3.6%
1,401–1,500cc
Petrol
6,102
3.4%
1,401–1,500cc
Plug-in hybrid
2,671
1.5%
1,901–2,000cc
Petrol
2,394
1.3%
1,301–1,400cc
Petrol
2,309
1.3%
Engine sizes, 2014 to 2025
Share of those licensed at the end of each year, for the most common sizes.
Volkswagen Passats licensed in the UK by fuel type, share of each year’s total
Year
Diesel
Petrol
Plug-in hybrid
2014
88.4%
11.6%
0.0%
2015
90.1%
9.8%
0.0%
2016
91.7%
8.2%
0.1%
2017
92.5%
7.0%
0.5%
2018
92.5%
6.4%
1.1%
2019
92.3%
6.5%
1.2%
2020
91.9%
6.6%
1.6%
2021
91.2%
6.6%
2.1%
2022
90.4%
6.9%
2.7%
2023
89.7%
7.2%
3.1%
2024
88.7%
7.4%
3.6%
2025
86.9%
7.6%
5.1%
Source:DfT / DVLAEnd of 2014 to end of 2025Updated
United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN
excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page.
How we use engine sizes.
Volkswagen Passat fuel economy and CO2
The Vehicle Certification Agency’s new car data lists the Volkswagen Passat from 2000, when the data begins, and still lists it. On the WLTP test (listings 2025 to 2026), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and petrol hybrid versions ranges from 38.7 to 52.3 mpg, with CO2 of 122 to 165 g/km; plug-in hybrid versions are rated at 706.2 to 941.6 mpg (weighted). On the older NEDC test (listings 2000 to 2018), official combined fuel economy for its petrol and diesel versions ranges from 21.2 to 76.3 mpg, with CO2 of 95 to 319 g/km; plug-in hybrid versions are rated at 156.9 to 166.0 mpg (weighted).
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Official WLTP figures by engine and fuel, listed 2025 to 2026
Engine and fuel
Combined mpg
CO2 g/km
Listed
Euro standard
Versions
2.0 petrol
38.7–40.4
159–165
2025–2026
Euro 6
1
1.5 petrol hybrid
48.7–52.3
122–132
2025–2026
Euro 6
7
1.5 plug-in hybrid
706.2–941.6
7–8
2025–2026
Euro 6
7
Older NEDC figures, listed 2000 to 2018 (14 engine and fuel groups)
Official NEDC figures by engine and fuel, listed 2000 to 2018
Official figures from laboratory type-approval tests. VCA says they may not be achieved in
real-world driving, and should not be used to rank cars with similar figures.
NEDC figures (in VCA’s data until September 2018) and WLTP figures (from the 2019 guide)
come from different tests, so they are shown separately and should not be compared.
Plug-in hybrid figures are VCA’s weighted values, which count driving on battery power as
well as on fuel.
VCA’s data has no Volkswagen versions for 2019 to 2024, so the years listed may leave out years the Volkswagen Passat was on sale.
Engine sizes are rounded to the nearest 0.1 litre. A version is one line in
VCA’s data (description, gearbox, engine and fuel), counted once however many years it was
listed.
Matched from VCA’s model names “Passat Saloon”, “Passat Estate”, “New Passat Saloon”, “New Passat Estate”. How we use VCA’s figures.
Volkswagen Passat safety recalls
DVSA lists 40 safety recalls for the Volkswagen Passat since 1992, the first in 1995. The most recent was launched on 22 August 2025.
Takata front drivers or passenger airbag replacement
Launched 22 August 2025DVSA recall R/2025/357Manufacturer ref. DS69
Defect
Urgent Safety Warning – Do Not Drive Your Vehicle Our information shows your vehicle was originally allocated to or used for an extended period of time in a region with a climate zone considered to as HIGH RISK. Issue: The front airbag in your VW vehicle contains an ageing inflator propellant that may explode when deployed due to long-term exposure to heat and humidity. Risk: If the airbag inflator explodes metal fragments may be ejected causing life-threatening or fatal injuries to anyone in the vehicle.
Remedy
The front airbag must be replaced. Immediate Action Required: Stop driving your vehicle immediately. Contact the Takata Stop Drive helpline at 0113 526 9646 (MONDAY to FRIDAY 9:00AM to 5:00PM to arrange your recall service.
A recall applies to cars built on particular dates or with particular VINs, not to every Volkswagen Passat. The details come from manufacturers through DVSA, which says they may be delayed or
incomplete. To check a specific car, use GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check or ask the manufacturer or a
dealer. How we match recalls to models.
Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately.
First registrations count vehicles registered in Great Britain for the first time, including used imports.
Models are grouped by DVLA’s generic model name, so every generation and trim counts together.
MOT figures cover normal tests of cars aged three and over in 2025; retests are excluded. Age is rounded to the nearest year.
DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.
