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FPL 551J

1971 Volkswagen Beetle

Green Petrol 1285cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires28 Jul 2025
Tests22 (17 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate77.3%

Mileage

67,794 mi
Last recorded67,794 miles
Recorded on29 Jul 2024
Typical for 1971 Volkswagen Beetle46,446 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationFPL 551J
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year1971
ColourGreen
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,285cc

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

17 pass 5 fail
Pass 29 Jul 2024 67,794 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2023 67,687 miles

Offside Rear Oil leak, but not excessive slight oil leak from osr drive shaft oil seal (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 24 Jan 2022 67,669 miles

Slight play in all 4 wheel bearings

Pass 11 Jan 2021 67,334 miles
Fail 11 Jan 2021 67,334 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too far to the left (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (4.2.3 (c))

Pass 22 Jan 2020 66,957 miles
Pass 21 Jan 2019 66,257 miles

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

Pass 15 Jan 2018 65,473 miles
Pass 16 Jan 2017 64,702 miles
Pass 11 Jan 2016 63,190 miles

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

Pass 12 Jan 2015 61,979 miles
Pass 27 Jan 2014 60,628 miles

front number plate partly blocked

imbalance on front brakes (at time of mot )

Fail 27 Jan 2014 60,628 miles

Offside Front Lower Front suspension ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.2.C.1c)

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

front number plate partly blocked

imbalance on front brakes (at time of mot )

Pass 1 Feb 2013 59,192 miles
Fail 1 Feb 2013 59,192 miles

Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 24 Mar 2012 58,262 miles

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

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

Pass 31 Jul 2010 58,229 miles
Fail 26 Jul 2010 58,222 miles

Direction indicators flashing more than 120 times a minute (1.4.A.2g)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

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

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Offside Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users (1.8.A.1a)

Offside Headlamp aim too high and too far to the right. (1.8)

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

Front Steering arm has relative movement at its fixings (2.2.B.1h) DANGEROUS

Offside Front Intermediate drop arm insecure (2.2.B.1a) DANGEROUS

Oil leak

Pass 17 Jul 2009 57,581 miles
Fail 14 Jul 2009 57,576 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Nearside Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Offside Stop lamp emits other than a steady red light (1.2.1e)

Pass 15 Aug 2007 57,409 miles
Pass 1 Aug 2006 57,219 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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FPL 551J is a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle in Green with a 1,285cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 22 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 77.3%.

Across all 1971 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.0% with a typical mileage of 46,446 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

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 FPL 551J, 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 55 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 FPL 551J?

You can check the full history of FPL 551J by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was FPL 551J registered?

FPL 551J is a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 1 June 1971.

Is FPL 551J safe to buy?

The MOT history for FPL 551J shows 22 tests with a 77.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does FPL 551J 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 FPL 551J. 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.