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Volkswagen
Phaeton
1,811 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Phaetons pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 5.3 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
82.8%
Pass-after-fix
2.5%
Fail
13.6%
Avg miles
112,441
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
Phaeton: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 1,196 MOT tests, the Phaeton returns 78.5% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a number-plate lamp out. Windscreen damage and a tyre with the cords showing round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 114,122, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 38–48
A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
38–48
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
52 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
46 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
- 03
A tyre cords visible or damaged
39 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
34 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
- 05
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
29 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 06
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
28 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade defective
18 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 08
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
17 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 09
A tyre seriously damaged
17 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
- 10
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
16 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£148–£370
If every one of this Phaeton's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Hycote
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£6.59
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Hycote
Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Reflex Silver Metallic 12.5ml
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Hycote Touch Up Colour Paint Brush Volkswagen Mars Red 12.5ml
£6.59
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
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Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Buying or keeping a Phaeton?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Phaeton and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.