Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Volkswagen Passat 2007: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 59 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2007 Volkswagen Passat were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Drive shaft joints and boots (front).

Summary

The 2007 Volkswagen Passat follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 5,753 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
59 in every 100
Did not pass first time
41 in every 1002,383 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
18 yearsabout 151,026 miles
First tests counted
5,753

What failed most often

  1. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)17 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Tyre condition (rear)11 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Coil spring (rear)9 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2007 Volkswagen Passat vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Brakes

One fault: electronic parking brake, 18 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 2,379 of 2,383 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Electronic parking brake

Failed on 53 first tests18 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

An electronic parking brake is applied electronically but must still be maintained in operation by direct mechanical means. It may apply automatically in certain conditions, such as when the ignition is switched off or when the driver's door is opened. A control that is missing, defective or inoperative is Major, and so is a malfunction warning.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Body and structure

Three faults. The strongest is the driver's door condition: 16 times as often as on similar cars.

Driver's door condition

Failed on 49 first tests16 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Doors without handles by original design or specialist modification are not a defect so long as the door latches securely closed and can still be opened using the relevant control, such as a button or a fob. A door likely to open inadvertently or not remain closed is Major on a sliding door and graded Dangerous on a hinged one.

Body panel (front)

Failed on 52 first tests9.3 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A body panel that is damaged or corroded and likely to cause injury when grazed or contacted, or that is insecure, is Major. One likely to become detached is graded Dangerous. The inspection covers all body panels, undertrays, spoilers and mirror housings.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 399 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Noise, emissions and leaks

Two faults. The strongest is the diesel emissions test (pre-reg turbo rules before 01/07/2008): 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Diesel emissions test (pre-reg turbo rules before 01/07/2008)

Failed on 172 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Diesel engine warning light

Failed on 103 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

An engine malfunction indicator lamp that is illuminated to show a malfunction is graded Major on a diesel, but only on the diesels the test covers, which depends on the vehicle type and when it was first used. DVSA lists it under exhaust emissions for compression ignition engines, and the detail line for the row also names an inoperative lamp.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Suspension

Three faults. The strongest is the anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (rear): 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joints (rear)

Failed on 53 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Excessive wear on an anti-roll bar linkage ball joint is Major. A joint likely to become detached is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 126 first tests, 3.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Coil spring (rear)

Failed on 216 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a coil spring. When the vehicle is jacked and lowered, a spring that does not correctly locate as the suspension returns to its normal running position is rejected as insecurely attached. A missing spring is Major, and graded Dangerous where directional control is affected.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)

Failed on 80 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 269 first tests, 3.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Lamps and electrical

One fault: side repeater indicators, 2.1 times as often as on similar cars.

Side repeater indicators

Failed on 77 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Sequential or dynamic direction indicators are not a reason to fail. Where a side repeater is required, it is allowed to be part of the front direction indicator if it has a marked wraparound lens, or an amber light coming through the front lens when viewed from a set distance to the side of the rear bumper. A lens defect with no effect on the emitted light is Minor, and one that adversely affects the light is Major.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Tyres

One wear pattern: tyre condition (rear), 2.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Tyre condition (rear)

Failed on 260 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

Exposed or damaged ply or cords are graded Dangerous. A cut in excess of the requirements and deep enough to reach the ply or cords is Major, and testers may open the cut with a blunt instrument to check its depth. A tyre contacting the vehicle through flexing or suspension movement is not a defect; fouling fails only at the time of test.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 404 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension arm (rear)

Noted on 155 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 457 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
59in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
6in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
35in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 58.6% of 5,753 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 65.4%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 35 not fixed make the 41 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as tested
Diesel5,437152,876 miles58
Petrol316112,155 miles65

Figures are in every 100 first tests.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020002007201020152020Older carsNewer cars
4060801002000200720102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200056 in every 100353
200158 in every 100732
200261 in every 1001,268
200359 in every 1002,009
200460 in every 1002,309
200560 in every 1002,817
200657 in every 1003,744
2007 This car59 in every 1005,753
200860 in every 1007,149
200962 in every 1009,220
201062 in every 1009,539
201164 in every 10014,564
201265 in every 10012,714
201367 in every 10011,280
201469 in every 10013,875
201577 in every 10014,533
201679 in every 10014,196
201781 in every 10013,102
201884 in every 10010,052
201986 in every 1006,894
202088 in every 1005,426
202187 in every 1003,304
202287 in every 1002,281

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage makes a modest difference on a 2007 Passat.

Of 2007 Passat vehicles with under 115,000 miles, 62 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 187,000 miles or more, 58 in every 100 did.

Under 115,0001,137 tests
62
115,000–141,0001,183 tests
56
141,000–161,000 Typical car1,123 tests
60
161,000–187,0001,138 tests
57
187,000 and over1,167 tests
58

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 115,000141,000–161,000187,000 and over
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)6.97.46.0
Tyre condition (rear)3.44.95.6
Coil spring (rear)4.73.32.5
Headlight aim2.43.74.8
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)3.02.73.1

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

26in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

48in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

12in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2007 Volkswagen Passat follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Drive shaft joints and boots (front), about 17 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 58.6% of 5,753 first MOTs on the 2007 Volkswagen Passat passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 65.4%. Among 2,383 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Electronic parking brake appears more often than on similar cars (2.2% of those tests; 53 observed failures; about 18× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2007 Volkswagen Passat at the first attempt were Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (16.8%), Tyre condition (rear) (10.9%) and Coil spring (rear) (9.1%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Electronic parking brake (2.2% of those tests; 53 observed failures; about 18× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Electronic parking brake shows up more often than on similar cars (2.2% of those tests; 53 observed failures; about 18× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat include Electronic parking brake, Driver's door condition, Body panel (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2007 Volkswagen Passat (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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