AutoCensus
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Makes / Volkswagen / Vento

Vento

Volkswagen · on record 1994 to 2025

The Volkswagen Vento was the saloon version of the third generation Golf, replacing the Jetta name in Britain for one period before Jetta later returned. The Vento appealed mainly to buyers seeking a more sporting or distinctive choice than the maker's ordinary range. As the Vento ages, performance heritage and enthusiast demand give better examples a reason to be preserved even when routine daily use becomes less attractive.

ENDANGERED

Red List classification, from population, five year trajectory and survival against peak. Reviewed each census.

59 licensed vehicles
2025 census

0.6% of the peak fleet remains licensed

449
declared SORN
 
total surviving

peak 10,579 in 1999  ·  −12 vehicles a year, five year trend

Population history

Licensed and SORN vehicles at each census. The filters below apply to the family population, MOT and registration figures. They do not alter the generation history above.

Licensed SORN Latest census observation SOURCE DVLA VEH0120 / VEH0220

At the average decline recorded over the latest five years, the licensed fleet would reach zero around 2029.

Illustrative projection only; vehicle populations rarely decline linearly. Late fleets typically flatten as surviving examples enter preservation.

Inside the surviving fleet

AutoCensus parses every DVLA variant description, so the fleet can be read by fuel and specification rather than as one number.

First registrations by year

When surviving examples first joined the British fleet.

Recent UK first registrations

This family is no longer sold new. These figures are imports and historic vehicles joining the British register for the first time.

MOT reliability

DVSA test results for this family, 2005 to 2025.

 
Pass rate by year
Failure reason Failures Share of all tests
A rigid brake pipe excessively chafed, corroded or damaged 3,675 9.6%
Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or panelling within 30 cms of a seat belt ancho 2,670 7.0%
The grooves of the tread pattern are not at least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band comprising the central three-quarters of the breadth of tread, and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre 2,256 5.9%
Deliberate modification which significantly reduces the original strength, excessive corrosion, severe distortion, a fracture or an inadequate repair of a load bearing member or its supporting structure or supporting panelling within 30cm of any sub- 1,484 3.9%
A major leak of exhaust gases from any part of the system 1,363 3.6%
Excessive play in a rear wheel bearing indicating severe maladjustment or wear 1,183 3.1%
A wiper blade insecure, missing or in such a condition that it does not clear the windscreen effectively to give the driver an adequate view of the road (through the windscreen) to the left and right sides of the vehicle, as well as to the front 1,176 3.1%
A fluid leakage serious enough to indicate that the fluid seal of the shock absorber has failed 1,107 2.9%

Counted across every recorded test, 2005 to 2025. Advisories are excluded.

Where the Vento remains

Based on MOT test locations, 2025. Test location is a proxy: a vehicle is counted where it was last tested, not where it is kept.

Postcode area Vehicles tested Pass rate
WR 6 67%
TN 5 60%
B 5 80%
BN 3 67%
M 3 33%
EH 3 67%
ST 3 100%
BS 3 67%
WS 3 67%
CH 2 100%
SY 2 50%
DT 2 50%
RH 2 100%
KT 2 50%
DH 2 50%
Show all 47 areas

How this record was calculated

LATEST CENSUS2025
POPULATION SOURCEDVLA VEH0220 annual
HISTORY SOURCEDVLA VEH0120 GB · to 2013
MOT SOURCEDVSA results · to 2025
FAMILY DEFINITIONVOLKSWAGEN VENTO
PROCESSED20 Sep 2026
Full methodology

Population history combines DVLA VEH0120 Q4 census observations through 2013 with the annual VEH0220 census from 2014 onward. Figures before 2014 cover Great Britain only. Historical VEH0120 is used only when its overlapping UK observations reconcile to the current canonical family definition. Vehicles are grouped into this family using the DVLA GenModel together with durable routing rules for known inconsistencies.

Variant figures are parsed from raw DVLA model descriptions and the original string is always retained. Configuration is only assigned where the model description explicitly identifies it; a blank configuration is not treated as a two door Wrangler. Blank transmission fields are shown as manual because DVLA records the field for automatic vehicles.

MOT figures count tests, not vehicles, and geographic figures count each vehicle at its most recent test location. The decline projection is a straight line fitted to the latest five years and is illustrative only.