UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen Phaeton cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 613 licensed and 491 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Phaeton generic-model group.

Looking at a Phaeton?

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 Phaeton is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Phaeton disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,939 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 613 in 2026 Q1, down 68%. That is down 47% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 491 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,104 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.

Before you buy

  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 1,104 Phaeton vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 2 is SORN (491 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 68% from the 2014 Q3 peak of 1,939. Fewer cars on the road usually means fewer donor parts and fewer specialists.
  • Check the actual Phaeton — 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 Q1613491
2025 Q4646484
2025 Q3667478
2025 Q2684468
2025 Q1706472
2024 Q4743453
2024 Q3748461
2024 Q2773467
2024 Q1820450
2023 Q4864430
2023 Q3902408
2023 Q2931395
2023 Q1972387
2022 Q4990383
2022 Q31,018362
2022 Q21,066352
2022 Q11,085344
2021 Q41,106343
2021 Q31,110331
2021 Q21,150317
2021 Q11,160324
2020 Q41,205314
2020 Q31,225311
2020 Q21,235310
2020 Q11,281304
2019 Q41,327279
2019 Q31,365246
2019 Q21,394237
2019 Q11,460225
2018 Q41,489217
2018 Q31,500204
2018 Q21,515206
2018 Q11,544200
2017 Q41,600180
2017 Q31,621174
2017 Q21,679146
2017 Q11,717134
2016 Q41,722138
2016 Q31,778116
2016 Q21,785114
2016 Q11,787114
2015 Q41,83691
2015 Q31,86582
2015 Q21,90278
2015 Q11,89865
2014 Q41,90959
2014 Q31,93958

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Phaeton cars are left in the UK?

613 were licensed and 491 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Phaeton cars are SORN?

491 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,104 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Phaeton disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 1,939 in 2014 Q3 and stand at 613 in 2026 Q1, down 68%. That is down 47% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 491 are declared SORN — 1 in 2 of the 1,104 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

Does this say whether one Phaeton 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.