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R401 COU

1997 Volkswagen Beetle

Red Petrol 1600cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires23 Aug 2026
Tests32 (18 pass, 14 fail)
Pass rate56.3%

Mileage

22,204 mi
Last recorded22,204 miles
Recorded on24 Jul 2025
Typical for 1997 Volkswagen Beetle51,989 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

RegistrationR401 COU
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year1997
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
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

18 pass 14 fail
Pass 24 Jul 2025 22,204 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2024 19,669 miles
Fail 29 Jul 2024 19,669 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing significantly weakened (7.1.2 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Pass 25 Jul 2023 17,730 miles
Fail 25 Jul 2023 17,730 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 17 Aug 2022 12,991 miles
Fail 17 Aug 2022 12,991 miles

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

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Position lamp light intensity significantly reduced (4.2.3 (a) (ii))

Pass 18 Aug 2021 8,264 miles
Fail 18 Aug 2021 8,264 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

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

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

Pass 31 Jul 2020 6,076 miles
Fail 31 Jul 2020 6,076 miles

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 24 Aug 2019 3,460 miles
Pass 30 Jul 2018 240 miles
Fail 24 Jul 2018 236 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Exhaust carbon monoxide content at idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Exhaust hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle exceeds manufacturer's specified limits (8.2.1.2 (a))

Nearside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Upper Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (4.5.1 (a) (ii))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 30 Jun 2017 97,375 miles
Pass 1 Jul 2016 94,260 miles
Pass 24 Jun 2015 90,504 miles

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

Pass 27 Jun 2014 85,854 miles
Fail 27 Jun 2014 35,854 miles

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

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 24 Jun 2013 80,761 miles
Fail 11 Jun 2013 80,531 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

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

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)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 13 Jun 2012 76,689 miles
Fail 11 Jun 2012 76,686 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

Pass 5 Jul 2011 74,037 miles

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

Fail 16 Jun 2011 73,967 miles

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

Offside Front Upper Trailing arm has excessive play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

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

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

Fail 9 Jun 2010 70,329 miles

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Pass 9 Jun 2010 70,329 miles
Pass 18 Jun 2009 63,635 miles

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

Fail 18 Jun 2009 63,635 miles

Front registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

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

Rear registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

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

Fail 18 Jun 2009 63,632 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Front registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

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

Nearside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

Offside Rear Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5)

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

Rear registration plate background overprinted or shadowed with text (6.3.1e)

Steering system has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering box fitted) (2.2.A.1a)

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

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

Rear bumper insecure

Fail 11 Jun 2008 53,687 miles

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

Pass 11 Jun 2008 53,687 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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R401 COU is a 1997 Volkswagen Beetle in Red with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 56.3%.

Across all 1997 Volkswagen Beetle models, the average MOT pass rate is 68.8% with a typical mileage of 51,989 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 R401 COU, 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 29 years old, this Volkswagen Beetle is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R401 COU?

You can check the full history of R401 COU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R401 COU registered?

R401 COU is a 1997 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 16 December 1997.

Is R401 COU safe to buy?

The MOT history for R401 COU shows 32 tests with a 56.3% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R401 COU 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 R401 COU. 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.