Car statistics by year
2021 Volkswagen Passat
Volkswagen Passat cars first registered in 2021: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2021, so like is set against like.
- MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 87.9% All 2021 cars 88.4%
- Typical mileage at the MOT 54,700 miles; all 2021 cars 30,700
- Left at the end of 2025 3,371 91.8% of the 3,672 at the end of 2021
- Tests finding a dangerous defect 4.7% All 2021 cars 3.8%
- Tests with an advisory 39.3% All 2021 cars 33.1%
- MOT tests in 2025 3,667 normal tests in Great Britain
How do 2021 Volkswagen Passats do at their MOT?
In 2025, at about 4 years old, 87.9% of 2021 Volkswagen Passat MOT tests were passed first time, against 88.4% for all cars first registered in 2021. 2021 Volkswagen Passats did about as well as average for their age. A year earlier the same cars passed 86.4% of the time (all 2021 cars 88.7%).
MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Volkswagen Passat vs all cars
Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Volkswagen Passat bar with the all-cars bar beside it.
| First registered | Volkswagen Passat | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| ’11 | 64.4% | 61.5% |
| ’12 | 64.7% | 63.6% |
| ’13 | 67.1% | 66.0% |
| ’14 | 69.4% | 69.1% |
| ’15 | 76.9% | 72.6% |
| ’16 | 79.4% | 75.6% |
| ’17 | 81.0% | 79.1% |
| ’18 | 84.1% | 81.8% |
| ’19 | 86.1% | 84.4% |
| ’20 | 88.4% | 86.9% |
| ’21 | 87.9% | 88.4% |
| ’22 | 87.1% | 89.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT failures on the 2021 Volkswagen Passat
Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak was the most common single reason a 2021 Volkswagen Passat failed, on 18.3% of about 400 failed tests. By area of the car, tyres failed most often (48.3% of failed tests; all 2021 cars 41.9%). 4.7% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 3.8% for all cars first registered in 2021. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Most common reasons for failure
Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 18.3% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 16.5% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 15.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 12.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.5% |
| Headlamp aim: too high Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.2% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.5% |
| Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn Brakes | 3.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Failure categories: Volkswagen Passat vs all 2021 cars
The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.
| Category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Tyres | 48.3% |
| Suspension | 19.9% |
| Brakes | 14.9% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.2% |
| Visibility | 11.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 2.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Most common MOT advisories on the 2021 Volkswagen Passat
An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 39.3% of 2021 Volkswagen Passat tests had at least one (all 2021 cars 33.1%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.
Most common advisories
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.8% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.8% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 5.6% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 5.5% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.8% |
| Tyres: cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 1.8% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 1.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 1.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 1.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What mileage is normal for a 2021 Volkswagen Passat?
Half of the 2021 Volkswagen Passats tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 54,700 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 38,400 and a quarter more than 74,900. For all cars first registered in 2021, the middle figure was 30,700 miles, so 2021 Volkswagen Passats have been driven 78.2% further than average.
Mileage at the 2025 MOT
Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.
| 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Volkswagen Passat | 26,700 | 38,400 | 54,700 | 74,900 | 96,700 | 3,304 |
| All 2021 cars | 14,300 | 21,300 | 30,700 | 42,500 | 56,500 | 1,457,950 |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
How many 2021 Volkswagen Passats are left?
At the end of 2021, 3,672 2021 Volkswagen Passats were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom. By the end of 2025, 3,371 were: 3,323 licensed and 48 declared off the road (SORN). That is 91.8% still on the record, against 96.0% for all cars first registered in 2021.
Share still on the record since 2021
Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2021. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.
| Year end | 2021 Volkswagen Passat | All 2021 cars |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| 2022 | 99.8% | 98.4% |
| 2023 | 97.8% | 97.6% |
| 2024 | 94.9% | 94.7% |
| 2025 | 91.8% | 96.0% |
Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated
Recalls that may affect cars built around 2021
4 of the Volkswagen Passat’s 40 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2021. 1 has no build dates, so could apply to any year.
The 2021 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2021 may have been built in 2020, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.
| Launched | Concern | Built | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan 2024 | On certain vehicles with electromechanical brake servo and DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) of a limited production period there is a possibility that a heat protection mat was incorrectly fitted. In individual cases the brake fluid reservoir can melt and cause a brake fluid leak into the engine compartment. | 8 Aug 2019 to 20 Oct 2023 | 26,721 (all models) |
| 7 Apr 2022 | The fuse in the high-voltage system of plug-in hybrid vehicles was in some cases produced with too little so-called fire sand | 23 Jan 2019 to 10 Feb 2022 | 1,868 (all models) |
| 10 Sept 2021 | The bolted connection of the pull rod between the electromechanical brake servo and brake pedal could come loose | 13 Jan 2019 to 20 May 2021 | 145 (all models) |
| 8 Apr 2021 | The positive battery cable and the control unit cable may have been mixed up | 12 Dec 2020 to 18 Feb 2021 | 243 (all models) |
Every Volkswagen Passat recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls
Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated
Other years of the Volkswagen Passat
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%).
| Year | Registered | Left | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | – | 2,926 | 58.8% |
| 2002 | – | 4,122 | 61.2% |
| 2003 | – | 4,978 | 59.3% |
| 2004 | – | 4,909 | 60.3% |
| 2005 | – | 6,051 | 60.8% |
| 2006 | – | 7,105 | 57.1% |
| 2007 | – | 8,761 | 59.0% |
| 2008 | – | 9,147 | 60.7% |
| 2009 | – | 10,774 | 62.6% |
| 2010 | – | 10,883 | 62.8% |
| 2011 | – | 17,222 | 64.4% |
| 2012 | – | 14,055 | 64.7% |
| 2013 | – | 12,500 | 67.1% |
| 2014 | 18,643 | 15,412 | 69.4% |
| 2015 | 18,679 | 15,931 | 76.9% |
| 2016 | 17,300 | 15,501 | 79.4% |
| 2017 | 15,585 | 14,217 | 81.0% |
| 2018 | 11,669 | 10,775 | 84.1% |
| 2019 | 7,441 | 7,315 | 86.1% |
| 2020 | 6,057 | 5,817 | 88.4% |
| 2021 | 3,672 | 3,371 | 87.9% |
| 2022 | 2,462 | 2,312 | 87.1% |
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.
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT results and mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 3,667 MOT tests of 2021 Volkswagen Passat cars | 15 September 2026 |
| Cars on the record | Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport | End of 2025 | 3,371 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) | 15 September 2026 |
- MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Volkswagen Passat cars first registered in 2021; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2021.
- Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
- Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
- Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
- Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
- 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.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.