The picture
Jetta: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 19,669 MOT tests, the Jetta returns 71.5% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. A broken or weak spring and a defective headlamp lens round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 110,436, 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.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
1,112 occurrences · 5.7% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,104 occurrences · 5.6% of tests
- 03
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
819 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 04
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
791 occurrences · 4.0% of tests
- 05
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
775 occurrences · 3.9% of tests
- 06
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
643 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 07
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
527 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 08
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
527 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
514 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 10
A tyre cords visible or damaged
429 occurrences · 2.2% 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
£170–£560
If every one of this Jetta'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 →
Try the calculator
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.
Buying or keeping a Jetta?
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 Jetta 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.