CarVerify

Free Car Check

UUR 438J

1971 Volkswagen Beetle

Blue Petrol 1600cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires4 Aug 2027
Tests21 (10 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate47.6%

Mileage

62,646 mi
Last recorded62,646 miles
Recorded on5 Aug 2026
Typical for 1971 Volkswagen Beetle46,446 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Volkswagen
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £14.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationUUR 438J
MakeVolkswagen
ModelBeetle
Year1971
ColourBlue
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

10 pass 11 fail
Pass 5 Aug 2026 62,646 miles

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

Pass 25 Jul 2025 62,335 miles

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

Pass 30 Jul 2024 61,941 miles
Fail 30 Jul 2024 61,941 miles

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

Fail 19 Jan 2023 60,734 miles

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

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

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

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

Fail 28 Jan 2022 60,132 miles

Central Rear Oil leaking excessively from engine (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

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

Rear Stop lamp(s) all not working Offside and Nearside stop lamps not working. (4.3.1 (a) (iii)) DANGEROUS

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

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

Fail 7 Aug 2020 58,335 miles

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

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle n/s brake low and slow to apply (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Shock absorbers light misting of oil or has limited damping effect light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge wearing on inner edge (5.2.3 (e))

Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Fail 4 Aug 2018 58,079 miles

Nearside Front Inner Steering component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded Chassis Section corroded by Steering Idler Mounting. (2.1.2 (e) (i))

Nearside Front Intermediate Drop arm has slight play in bush,

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

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

Pass 21 May 2016 58,015 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Has corrosion by radius arm.

Fail 13 May 2016 58,003 miles

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

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

Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear Has corrosion by radius arm.

Pass 15 May 2015 57,813 miles
Fail 2 May 2015 57,813 miles

Offside Front Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Steering system excessively rough (2.2.D.1)

Steering system excessively tight (2.2.D.1)

Pass 11 Apr 2014 56,997 miles
Fail 8 Apr 2014 56,985 miles

Nearside Drag link end ball joint dust cover missing (2.2.C.1c)

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

Offside Drag link end ball joint dust cover missing (2.2.C.1c)

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

Steering system excessively rough (2.2.D.1)

Pass 16 Apr 2013 51,331 miles

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Fail 15 Apr 2013 51,325 miles

Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.5.B.1a)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

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

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Upper Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Pass 24 Mar 2012 42,669 miles

Oil leak

Fail 20 Mar 2012 42,652 miles

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

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

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

Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 13 Oct 2010 34,615 miles
Fail 4 Sep 2009 33,848 miles

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

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Pass 4 Sep 2009 33,848 miles

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

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

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.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

UUR 438J is a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle in Blue with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 21 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 47.6%.

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 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 UUR 438J, 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 UUR 438J?

You can check the full history of UUR 438J by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was UUR 438J registered?

UUR 438J is a 1971 Volkswagen Beetle, first registered on 1 April 1971.

Is UUR 438J safe to buy?

The MOT history for UUR 438J shows 21 tests with a 47.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does UUR 438J 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 UUR 438J. 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.