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BU05 XYW

2005 Volkswagen Beetle

Silver Diesel 1896cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires21 Oct 2026
Tests27 (18 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

117,292 mi
Last recorded117,292 miles
Recorded on21 Oct 2025
Typical for 2005 Volkswagen Beetle68,404 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Volkswagen
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationBU05 XYW
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year2005
ColourSilver
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine1,896cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

18 pass 9 fail
Pass 21 Oct 2025 117,292 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 205/55r16 (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair A little slow coming on. (1.2.1 (c))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Pass 22 Oct 2024 111,501 miles
Fail 22 Oct 2024 111,500 miles

Brake performance unable to be tested (1.2.1 (g))

Nearside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Nearside Rear Hydraulic brake calliper leaking and braking performance affected (1.1.16 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 18 Oct 2023 109,593 miles
Fail 17 Oct 2023 109,592 miles

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair 57% (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 3 Oct 2022 106,156 miles
Fail 24 Sep 2022 105,961 miles

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Service brake requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair (1.2.1 (c))

Pass 21 Oct 2021 103,753 miles
Fail 9 Oct 2021 103,510 miles

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.1.2 (c))

Pass 24 Nov 2020 99,515 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both sides inner edges (5.2.3 (e))

Fail 20 Nov 2020 99,510 miles

Offside Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both sides inner edges (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 22 Nov 2019 94,223 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front top strut mount has slight play

Fail 12 Nov 2019 94,214 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Nearside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side low reading (1.4.1 (a))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side low reading (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Offside Front top strut mount has slight play

Offside Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Pass 11 Jun 2018 88,498 miles

Rear exhaust rusting badly

Pass 5 Jun 2017 80,446 miles

Rear rear exhaust silencer rusted

Fail 5 Jun 2017 80,446 miles

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle o/s/front not as efficant as n/s/front (3.7.B.5b)

Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Rear rear exhaust silencer rusted

Pass 6 Jun 2016 73,078 miles

rear exhaust silencer rusting

Pass 5 Jun 2015 65,265 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

rear exhaust silencer rusting badly

Pass 9 Jun 2014 59,550 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

rear exhaust silencer rusting

Pass 22 May 2013 53,992 miles

rear exhaust silencer rusting

Fail 22 May 2013 53,992 miles

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Brake lever has restricted free movement (3.5.1k) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

rear exhaust silencer rusting

Pass 8 Jun 2012 49,941 miles
Pass 15 Jun 2011 42,123 miles

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Fail 15 Jun 2011 42,123 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1) DANGEROUS

Rear Exhaust has part of the system slightly deteriorated (7.1.1a)

Pass 18 Jun 2010 34,764 miles
Pass 19 Jun 2009 31,335 miles
Pass 19 Jun 2008 22,143 miles

How Reliable is the Volkswagen Beetle?

Based on 1,719,137 MOT tests across 112,454 vehicles.

71.7%
Pass Rate
4,798
Miles/Year
56
Year Lifespan
112,454
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 44,561
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 33,096
Stop lamp not working 28,079
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 27,964
Headlamp not working on dipped beam 23,197
Full Volkswagen Beetle reliability report

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BU05 XYW is a 2005 Volkswagen Beetle in Silver with a 1,896cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 2005 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 72.4% with a typical mileage of 68,404 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Volkswagen Beetle fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 44,561 recorded failures. If you're considering buying BU05 XYW, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Volkswagen Beetle typically stays on UK roads for around 56 years. At 21 years old, this Volkswagen Beetle is still in the earlier part of its expected life.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of BU05 XYW?

You can check the full history of BU05 XYW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was BU05 XYW registered?

BU05 XYW is a 2005 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 25 May 2005.

Is BU05 XYW safe to buy?

The MOT history for BU05 XYW shows 27 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does BU05 XYW have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on BU05 XYW. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.