All generations and engines together · 21,836 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 45k
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 6,431 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
On 2015-2016 Beetles with the 1.8 or 2.0 TFSI petrol engine, the rear camshaft lobe can shear off the shaft, cutting engine power and weakening brake assist. VW confirmed the fault and ran a recall covering roughly 92,000 cars, with the fix rolled out from early 2016. If a car missed the recall the repair means cylinder head or camshaft work, realistically £800-£2,000 out of warranty.
VW recalled Beetles built before August 2013 over rear-axle damage that could affect steering control, a genuine safety recall rather than just a wear complaint. The measured MOT data for this model shows suspension as the standout fault category, so a car from this build window with a clonk or vague feel over bumps deserves a proper look underneath, recall done or not.
On the original New Beetle, 1.8 20V turbo engines built between roughly August 2001 and October 2002 are known for one or more ignition coils failing, bringing on a misfire and a flashing engine light. It's a cheap-ish fix, coils run to a few hundred pounds fitted, but it can catch out anyone who ignores an early flicker of the warning light. Only affects that engine and build window, not the wider Beetle range.
Some early Mk2 Beetles (2012 on) have had the window regulator mechanism fail, most often on the passenger side, so the glass stops short of fully closing or drops back down. It's not officially acknowledged as a pattern fault, just a recurring one in reviews and owner reports, and a regulator replacement is a few hundred pounds including the door card coming off.
On the Beetle Cabriolet, early roof motors proved unreliable, with the roof slowing, stalling mid-cycle, or refusing to open or close. VW redesigned the motor in summer 2013, and cars built after that point are noticeably more dependable, so a pre-2013 convertible with an untouched motor is the one to watch. Replacement is a specialist job, so budget for a few hundred pounds if it's original.
Built from the two sections above.
Same segment (Coupés, convertibles & GT), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.
Head to head with the other popular cars in its class on reliability and common faults.