Used car guide · 2014–2023

Volkswagen Passat B8: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Volkswagen Passat B8 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 80,107 MOT tests.

2015best year: 77% pass first time, 5 points above all 2015 cars
2022weakest year: 85% pass first time, 4 points below all 2022 cars
Shock absorbersthe weak spot that shows up in 8 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Volkswagen Passat B8, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

50%75%100%2014: 69% pass first time (all 2014 cars: 69%) 69% 2014*2015: 77% pass first time (all 2015 cars: 72%) 77% 20152016: 79% pass first time (all 2016 cars: 75%) 79% 20162017: 81% pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%) 81% 20172018: 84% pass first time (all 2018 cars: 81%) 84% 20182019: 86% pass first time (all 2019 cars: 84%) 86% 20192020: 89% pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%) 89% 20202021: 88% pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%) 88% 20212022: 85% pass first time (all 2022 cars: 89%) 85% 2022
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
2014*69%69% +0Suspension arm 9.3× usual14,559
201577%72% +5Shock absorbers 2.5× usual15,231
201679%75% +4Shock absorbers 3× usual14,968
201781%78% +3Shock absorbers 3.3× usual13,908
201884%81% +3Shock absorbers 3.4× usual10,766
201986%84% +2Shock absorbers 5× usual6,192
202089%86% +3Shock absorbers 4.3× usual1,736
202188%87% +1Brake discs 2× usual1,508
202285%89% -4Shock absorbers 3.3× usual1,239

Weak spots across the Volkswagen Passat B8

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Shock absorbersup to 5× usual

    Stands out in 8 years: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.

    Rough price £200–£300 (pair, average rear to front) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Push down hard on each corner. It should bounce once and settle. Look for oil on the shock absorber body.

  • Engine warning lightup to 2.1× usual

    Stands out in 2 years: 2016, 2015.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Known faults

From owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Not every car will have them.

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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