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FFW 216L

1973 Volkswagen Beetle

Blue Petrol 1300cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires1 Oct 2026
Tests25 (16 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate64%

Mileage

14,690 mi
Last recorded14,690 miles
Recorded on2 Oct 2025
Typical for 1973 Volkswagen Beetle46,746 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationFFW 216L
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year1973
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,300cc

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

16 pass 9 fail
Pass 2 Oct 2025 14,690 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Fail 19 Sep 2025 14,515 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

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

Offside Front Outer 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 Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (i))

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

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Pass 29 Aug 2024 10,248 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner wheel arch (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Wheel bearing has slight play n/s and o/s/f (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 15 Aug 2024 10,094 miles

Offside Front Anti-roll bar attachment bracket/mounting corroded and seriously weakened (5.3.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Brake pipe likely to become detached or damaged (1.1.11 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive inner wheel arch (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Steering box has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.3 (a) (i))

Wheel bearing has slight play n/s and o/s/f (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Aug 2023 6,667 miles

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive shaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Fail 9 Aug 2023 6,565 miles

Offside Front Brake pipe excessively corroded front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive shaft seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

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

Steering box slight play between sector shaft and the drop arm (2.1.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 10 Aug 2022 2,750 miles

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 2 Aug 2022 2,651 miles

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

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 14 May 2018 89,359 miles
Pass 13 May 2017 85,436 miles
Pass 29 Apr 2016 81,878 miles

Nearside Rear Body has slight corrosion Jacking point area corroded (6.1.B.2)

Offside Rear Body has slight corrosion Jacking point area corroded (6.1.B.2)

Pass 14 May 2015 78,324 miles
Fail 13 May 2015 78,324 miles

Offside Front Brake cable has wires broken and is significantly weakened (3.5.1b)

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

Pass 28 Apr 2014 75,764 miles

Oil leak

Fail 26 Apr 2014 75,749 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Shock absorber insecure (2.7.2b)

Oil leak

Pass 8 May 2013 73,610 miles

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Fail 1 May 2013 73,586 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

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

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

slight play and lift in steering box sector shaft

Pass 21 Apr 2012 70,906 miles
Pass 18 May 2011 68,699 miles
Fail 11 May 2011

Offside Front Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Stop lamp remains on when the brakes are released (1.2.1e)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

Pass 22 Jun 2009 67,923 miles

front brakes out of balance.

Pass 9 Jul 2008 66,390 miles

ball joint boots perished and rear metal brake pipes starting to corrode.

Pass 29 Jun 2007 65,558 miles
Pass 13 Jul 2006 65,361 miles
Fail 12 Jul 2006 65,361 miles

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

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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FFW 216L is a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle in Blue with a 1,300cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64%.

Across all 1973 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.7% with a typical mileage of 46,746 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 FFW 216L, 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 53 years old, this Volkswagen Beetle is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of FFW 216L?

You can check the full history of FFW 216L by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FFW 216L registered?

FFW 216L is a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 9 April 1973.

Is FFW 216L safe to buy?

The MOT history for FFW 216L shows 25 tests with a 64% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FFW 216L 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 FFW 216L. 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.