Is the Volkswagen Beetle reliable?

The Volkswagen Beetle has an average MOT pass rate of 72% across 24 years, based on 89,303 tests in 2026. That's 10 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2018 with a 85% pass rate.

Which year Volkswagen Beetle is best?

The 2018 Volkswagen Beetle has the highest MOT pass rate at 85%, while the 1991 model has the lowest at 47%. There's a 38 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Volkswagen Beetle

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 24 years from 89,303 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

72%

Total Tests

89,303

Best Year

2018 (85%)

Years Covered

About the Volkswagen Beetle

The Volkswagen Beetle has been tested 89,303 times in 2026 MOT data across 24 model years (1990 to 2018), with an average pass rate of 72%. That's 10 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol and diesel and electric.

Best and Worst Years

The 2018 model is the most reliable with a 85% pass rate from 1,642 tests. The 1991 model has the lowest at 47%. With a 38 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer VOLKSWAGEN BEETLEs show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 9 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1990) averages 41,089 miles, while the newest (2018) averages 36,156 miles.

Compared to the Volkswagen brand average of 85%, the Beetle is 13 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Volkswagen models.

Estimated Running Costs

Fuel (Petrol, 1197cc)

£955

Road Tax

£195

MOT Test

£55

Predicted Repairs

£350

Total per year£1,555

Per month£130/mo

Based on 7,400 miles/year, current fuel prices, and MOT pass rate data. Insurance not included.

Full 2018 details

How reliable is the Volkswagen Beetle?

vs national average-10% (82% avg)

vs Volkswagen brand average-13% (85% avg)

Best to worst year spread38 percentage points

Reliability trendImproving over years

Volkswagen Beetle by Year

Click any year to see detailed running costs, reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2018	85%	1,642	36,156 mi
2017	83%	2,903	43,575 mi
2016	82%	4,498	52,150 mi
2015	80%	6,389	58,268 mi
2014	79%	7,334	65,889 mi
2013	78%	9,521	74,053 mi
2012	79%	4,871	75,723 mi
2011	74%	1,296	77,381 mi
2010	72%	4,069	82,153 mi
2009	72%	3,732	87,937 mi
2008	68%	5,007	93,584 mi
2007	67%	6,111	96,440 mi
2006	67%	6,520	102,252 mi
2005	68%	6,429	102,064 mi
2004	67%	7,230	107,318 mi
2003	65%	5,254	108,762 mi
2002	67%	2,479	106,749 mi
2001	66%	2,142	102,524 mi
2000	66%	1,513	103,321 mi
1999	73%	134	78,457 mi
1998	79%	70	66,190 mi
1997	64%	83	46,829 mi
1991	47%	38	34,927 mi
1990	71%	38	41,089 mi