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FFW 842L

1973 Volkswagen Beetle

Blue Petrol 1300cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires7 Jul 2027
Tests19 (10 pass, 9 fail)
Pass rate52.6%

Mileage

97,559 mi
Last recorded97,559 miles
Recorded on8 Jul 2026
Typical for 1973 Volkswagen Beetle46,746 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationFFW 842L
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

10 pass 9 fail
Pass 8 Jul 2026 97,559 miles

Nearside Rear Position lamp insecure (4.2.1 (c) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 4 Aug 2020 95,256 miles
Fail 26 Oct 2017 95,225 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded floor pan (5.2.6)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

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

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

Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Tailgate cannot be secured in the closed position (6.4.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Inner Drive shaft which forms part of the suspension coupling gaiter damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.4e)

exhaust protruding

Pass 28 Oct 2016 90,138 miles

Rear Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

exhaust protruding

Fail 18 Oct 2016 90,032 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Nearside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

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

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded sill (5.2.6)

Offside Front Brake hose has insufficient room to move, resulting in fouling on any part rubbing on the tyre (3.6.B.4a)

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

Offside Front wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.5.A.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded floor pan (5.2.6)

Rear Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

exhaust protruding

Pass 14 Oct 2015 81,403 miles
Fail 30 Sep 2015 80,890 miles

Direction indicators not working (1.4.A.2c)

Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded chassis and floor pan (2.4.A.3)

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

Nearside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear brake drum locking device missing (3.5.1l)

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

Offside Rear brake drum contaminated by oil (3.5.1h)

Pass 22 Oct 2014 77,401 miles

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 16 Oct 2014 77,400 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear Body has a projection caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

Nearside Rear Hydraulic brake cylinder leaking hydraulic fluid (3.6.A.1)

Offside Rear Body has a projection caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

Offside Rear Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion (6.1.C.1)

Rear Stop lamp has less than 50% of the light sources illuminating (1.2.1b)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a)

Fail 15 Aug 2011 76,942 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Lower Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Lower Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Front Lower Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Suspension joint nearside upper dust cover split/missing

Pass 17 Aug 2010 73,850 miles

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

Suspension joint nearside upper dust cover split/missing

extensive corrosion in underside of vehicle

imbalance on front brakes

vehicle in poor general condition floor pan area corroded and lower panels starting to rust

Fail 10 Aug 2010 73,850 miles

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

Front Lower Sub-frame corroded and seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

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

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

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

Suspension joint nearside upper dust cover split/missing

extensive corrosion in underside of vehicle

Pass 15 Aug 2009 73,284 miles
Fail 1 Aug 2009 73,284 miles

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

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

Pass 2 Aug 2008 73,255 miles

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

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

Front Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

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

Oil leak

Rear Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 28 Jul 2007 73,213 miles
Fail 29 May 2007 73,213 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Nearside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

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

offside front top steering swivel gaitor split

Pass 15 Jun 2006 71,144 miles
Fail 10 Jun 2006 71,144 miles

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

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

Nearside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high when the centre of the headlamp is below 850mm from the ground (1.6.B2)

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

Offside Front Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance (1.1.A.3d)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion which adversely affects braking or steering (6.1.A.1)

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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Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

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FFW 842L is a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle in Blue with a 1,300cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 52.6%.

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 842L, 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 842L?

You can check the full history of FFW 842L by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FFW 842L registered?

FFW 842L is a 1973 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 1 May 1973.

Is FFW 842L safe to buy?

The MOT history for FFW 842L shows 19 tests with a 52.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FFW 842L 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 842L. 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.