UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen Passat cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 175,154 licensed and 43,857 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Passat generic-model group.

Looking at a Passat?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Passat is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Passat disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 355,482 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 175,154 in 2026 Q1, down 51%. That is down 32% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 43,857 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 219,011 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Passat MOT pass rate

In 2024, 70.7% of 153,043 Volkswagen Passat MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 86.7% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 60.3% aged 15–30 years.

  • Condition — 5.3% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.4% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.8% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.7% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volkswagen Passat MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Condition — 5.3% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.4% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 3.8% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Headlamp Aim — 3.7% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 219,011 Passat vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 5 is SORN (43,857 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Budget for a shrinking fleet — Licensed numbers are down 51% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 355,482. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Passat — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1175,15443,857
2025 Q4178,92343,381
2025 Q3181,97042,750
2025 Q2185,62742,338
2025 Q1189,50741,958
2024 Q4192,87541,710
2024 Q3197,01141,706
2024 Q2201,15841,696
2024 Q1205,28041,273
2023 Q4210,10740,472
2023 Q3214,87839,553
2023 Q2219,72538,946
2023 Q1223,73138,599
2022 Q4228,80238,251
2022 Q3232,15937,707
2022 Q2236,17037,446
2022 Q1239,88837,496
2021 Q4244,38837,231
2021 Q3248,88836,647
2021 Q2253,97636,509
2021 Q1257,14036,667
2020 Q4261,51236,056
2020 Q3266,68535,053
2020 Q2270,69134,963
2020 Q1274,59334,558
2019 Q4281,02832,504
2019 Q3286,43931,242
2019 Q2291,07730,206
2019 Q1296,12129,137
2018 Q4301,84428,324
2018 Q3306,57327,203
2018 Q2311,51626,356
2018 Q1315,42225,613
2017 Q4319,52324,770
2017 Q3323,30223,402
2017 Q2327,62522,472
2017 Q1331,45421,361
2016 Q4334,07620,282
2016 Q3335,74318,629
2016 Q2339,33917,951
2016 Q1340,18717,290
2015 Q4342,89715,554
2015 Q3344,79114,161
2015 Q2346,22613,267
2015 Q1346,88912,424
2014 Q4348,66611,372
2014 Q3355,48210,604

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Passat cars are left in the UK?

175,154 were licensed and 43,857 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Passat cars are SORN?

43,857 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 219,011 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Passat disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 355,482 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 175,154 in 2026 Q1, down 51%. That is down 32% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 43,857 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 219,011 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Volkswagen Passat MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 70.7% of 153,043 Volkswagen Passat MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Passat fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are condition (5.3% of tests), suspension arms (4.4% of tests), exhaust emissions (3.8% of tests).

Does this say whether one Passat is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.