Does the Volkswagen Phaeton fail the MOT on noise, emissions and leaks more than it should?
The Volkswagen Phaeton records 2.88 noise, emissions and leaks failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 5.56 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−2.68, 95% interval −3.23 to −2.12). It ranks 585 of 678 models on noise, emissions and leaks (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on noise, emissions and leaks · check a Volkswagen Phaeton by registration
What exactly fails on noise, emissions and leaks?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Volkswagen Phaeton is “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction”, recorded 137 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction | 137 | 1.97 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 6,940 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Volkswagen Phaeton by postcode area · Volkswagen Phaeton body, chassis and structure failures · Volkswagen Phaeton brakes failures · Volkswagen Phaeton vehicle identification failures · Volkswagen Phaeton lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Volkswagen Phaeton road wheels failures · Volkswagen Phaeton steering failures · Volkswagen Phaeton suspension failures · Volkswagen Phaeton tyres failures · Volkswagen Phaeton visibility failures