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OLD 531L

1972 Volkswagen Beetle

White Petrol 1192cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires10 Feb 2027
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

67,104 mi
Last recorded67,104 miles
Recorded on11 Feb 2026
Typical for 1972 Volkswagen Beetle44,941 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationOLD 531L
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year1972
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,192cc

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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 11 Feb 2026 67,104 miles
Fail 11 Feb 2026 67,104 miles

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

Fail 20 May 2025 66,175 miles

Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired floor pan (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

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

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

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

Nearside Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired sills welding not adequate (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired beside shock absorber repair not adequate (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Offside Outer Suspension component mounting prescribed area is inadequately repaired sill inadequately repaired welding not continuous (5.3.6 (a) (i))

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

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 29 May 2024 65,990 miles
Pass 12 Apr 2023 65,273 miles

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

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

Fail 12 Apr 2023 65,273 miles

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

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

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

Pass 29 May 2019 60,594 miles
Pass 7 Aug 2017 59,511 miles
Fail 7 Aug 2017 59,511 miles

Front All position lamps not working and rear (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Pass 9 Aug 2016 58,171 miles

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded to rear at master cyl (3.6.B.2c)

inner wing at rear of p/s front wheel corroded

Fail 8 Aug 2016 58,171 miles

Brake master cylinder/servo mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded floorpan at m/c fixing point (3.6.C.3)

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Rear Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded at front of rear subframe fixing point (2.4.A.3)

Front Brake pipe slightly corroded to rear at master cyl (3.6.B.2c)

inner wing at rear of p/s front wheel corroded

Pass 24 Jun 2015 56,896 miles
Fail 23 Jun 2015 56,896 miles

Driver's door hinge insecure (6.2.B.2)

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

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Lower Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

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

Pass 3 Jul 2013 54,347 miles
Pass 5 Jul 2012 53,992 miles
Fail 28 Jun 2012 53,952 miles

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pass 20 Jun 2011 52,039 miles
Pass 9 Jun 2010 47,464 miles
Fail 3 Jun 2010 47,464 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Body or chassis has an unsatisfactory modification, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

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

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

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside inner track rod end joint cover split/missing

nearside rear brake back plate is wet showing a leak fom axle or brake system

Fail 4 Jun 2009 45,496 miles

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Stop lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp (1.2.1f)

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

Offside rear brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.5b)

Oil leak

Pass 4 Jun 2009 45,496 miles

Nearside Front suspension has slight play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside Front suspension has slight play in a upper suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Offside rear brake juddering slightly (3.7.A.5b)

Oil leak

Pass 25 Jun 2008 43,884 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Oil leak

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

wiper mechanism worn

Pass 27 Jun 2007 43,009 miles
Fail 26 Jun 2007 43,006 miles

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

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Pass 28 Jun 2006 41,688 miles

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

fuel cap seal cracked

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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OLD 531L is a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle in White with a 1,192cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

Across all 1972 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 67.4% with a typical mileage of 44,941 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 OLD 531L, 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 54 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 OLD 531L?

You can check the full history of OLD 531L by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was OLD 531L registered?

OLD 531L is a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 26 October 1972.

Is OLD 531L safe to buy?

The MOT history for OLD 531L shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does OLD 531L 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 OLD 531L. 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.