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ESF 686W

1981 Volkswagen Transporter

Orange Diesel 1600cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires7 Aug 2021
Tests11 (5 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate45.5%

Mileage

130,815 mi
Last recorded130,815 miles
Recorded on8 Aug 2020
Typical for 1981 Volkswagen Transporter59,447 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Finance
Write-off
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationESF 686W
MakeVolkswagen
ModelTransporter
Year1981
ColourOrange
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine1,600cc

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

5 pass 6 fail
Pass 8 Aug 2020 130,815 miles

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Fail 13 Jul 2019 130,802 miles

Central Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

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

Nearside Rear Floor excessively deteriorated (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear Inner Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has excessive play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (5.3.4 (b) (ii))

Offside Rear Floor excessively deteriorated (6.2.4 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Oil leaking continuously from engine posing a serious risk to road safety (8.4.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Upper Body panel likely to become detached (6.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Outer Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Front Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Offside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 10 May 2012 112,568 miles

Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 1 May 2012 112,564 miles

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter insecure (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Front Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c) DANGEROUS

Offside Rear Front wheel bearing has excessive play (2.5.A.3c) DANGEROUS

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Fail 8 Nov 2011 112,525 miles

Centre Rear Emissions not tested (7.0)

Centre Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Rear Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter deteriorated (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Front Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)

Rear coil spring corroded (2.4.C.1b)

o/s headlamp wrong pattern

Fail 28 Jun 2011 112,154 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

all wheel bearings have play

Pass 25 Aug 2009 112,005 miles

some corrosion in o/s door step area.

Pass 5 May 2008 110,885 miles
Fail 28 Apr 2008 110,885 miles

Nearside Ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

condensation in n/s headlamp.

engine oil leaks.

o/s door step area holed.

slight play in both rear wheel bearings.

Pass 23 Apr 2007 109,030 miles

o/s/f door step holed. †engine oil leaks. †front coil springs corroded.

Fail 24 Jul 2006 109,000 miles

Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

o/s/f door step area holed. †side door does not open. †engine oil leaks. †exhaust fouling rear valance.

How Reliable is the Volkswagen Transporter?

Based on 5,346,355 MOT tests across 357,225 vehicles.

73.0%
Pass Rate
5,816
Miles/Year
42
Year Lifespan
357,225
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Registration plate lamp not working 89,943
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 68,503
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 59,686
position lamp(s) not working 56,717
Stop lamp not working 56,335
Full Volkswagen Transporter reliability report

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ESF 686W is a 1981 Volkswagen Transporter in Orange with a 1,600cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 11 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 45.5%.

Across all 1981 Volkswagen Transporter models, the average MOT pass rate is 62.4% with a typical mileage of 59,447 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 Transporter fails its MOT is registration plate lamp not working, accounting for 89,943 recorded failures. If you're considering buying ESF 686W, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Volkswagen Transporter typically stays on UK roads for around 42 years. At 45 years old, this Volkswagen Transporter is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of ESF 686W?

You can check the full history of ESF 686W by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was ESF 686W registered?

ESF 686W is a 1981 Volkswagen Transporter, first registered on 10 March 1981.

Is ESF 686W safe to buy?

The MOT history for ESF 686W shows 11 tests with a 45.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does ESF 686W 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 ESF 686W. 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.