How reliable is the Volkswagen Phaeton compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Phaeton, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 75.6% across 754 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Phaeton?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 21.5% of failed Volkswagen Phaeton tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Phaeton?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.0% of all Volkswagen Phaeton tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen Phaeton usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 116,369 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Volkswagen Phaeton models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen Phaeton cars tested, 91% are diesel, 8% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen Phaeton MOT pass rate & common failures

From 754 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen Phaeton, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 754 MOT tests, 75.6% of Volkswagen Phaeton tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen Phaeton fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 21.5% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 116,369 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

75.6%unadjusted, not comparable754 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Phaeton. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 754 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen Phaeton tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn21.5%
34 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged14.6%
23 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake14.6%
23 occurrencesBrake binding or imbalanced across an axle explained
4.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement13.3%
21 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.8%
17 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged7.6%
12 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.Parking brake inoperative on one side7.0%
11 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
8.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.7%
9 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn5.7%
9 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen5.7%
9 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen Phaeton tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements30.0%
226 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.2%
130 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured14.3%
108 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged8.8%
66 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users6.2%
47 tests
6.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm5.7%
43 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
7.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.4%
33 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
8.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements4.1%
31 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Volkswagen Phaeton

The 20 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Phaeton fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 116,369
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel91.4%
Petrol8.5%

Check a specific Volkswagen Phaeton

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Tiguan — 77.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volkswagen Phaeton compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Phaeton, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 75.6% across 754 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Phaeton?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 21.5% of failed Volkswagen Phaeton tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Phaeton?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 30.0% of all Volkswagen Phaeton tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen Phaeton usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 116,369 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Volkswagen Phaeton models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen Phaeton cars tested, 91% are diesel, 8% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.