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Toyota vs Volkswagen Reliability

In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles, versus 120k for Volkswagen.

Based on 773 Toyotas and 131 Volkswagens. “Decent” means a condition score of 55/100.

vs
Head to head
ToyotaVolkswagen
Cars inspected773131
Average condition63/10059/100
In good shape (60+/100)57%51%
Holds up to (avg dips below decent)~146k mi~120k mi
Repainted or replaced panel77%76%
Structural repair found4%3%
Fault codes recently cleared18%24%

Green = the better number of the pair. Condition reflects the mix of cars that came to us — age, price, model — so treat small gaps as a tie.

How they score
Toyota
Excellent 29% Good 28% Mediocre 24% Poor 19%
Volkswagen
Excellent 17% Good 34% Mediocre 32% Poor 18%
How long do they stay good?
Good cars by mileage
▬ Toyota▬ Volkswagen▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Toyota, 0–20k mi: 100% in good shape (25 cars)Toyota, 20–40k mi: 90% in good shape (61 cars)Toyota, 40–60k mi: 81% in good shape (57 cars)Toyota, 60–80k mi: 85% in good shape (99 cars)Toyota, 80–100k mi: 59% in good shape (74 cars)Toyota, 100–120k mi: 61% in good shape (109 cars)Toyota, 120–140k mi: 44% in good shape (85 cars)Toyota, 140–160k mi: 35% in good shape (94 cars)Toyota, 160–180k mi: 33% in good shape (66 cars)Toyota, 180–200k mi: 22% in good shape (36 cars)Toyota, 200–220k mi: 22% in good shape (23 cars) Volkswagen, 20–40k mi: 78%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 40–60k mi: 65%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 60–80k mi: 48% in good shape (23 cars)Volkswagen, 80–100k mi: 36% in good shape (36 cars)Volkswagen, 100–120k mi: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (19 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 120–140k mi: 47%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars in this band)Volkswagen, 140–160k mi: 37%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars in this band) 40k 80k 120k 160k 200k mileage when we inspected it
Good cars by age
▬ Toyota▬ Volkswagen▬ all cars
0 25 50 75 100 Toyota, 1 years old: 100% in good shape (20 cars)Toyota, 2 years old: 95% in good shape (37 cars)Toyota, 3 years old: 89% in good shape (27 cars)Toyota, 4 years old: 94% in good shape (31 cars)Toyota, 5 years old: 88% in good shape (43 cars)Toyota, 6 years old: 78% in good shape (41 cars)Toyota, 7 years old: 72% in good shape (47 cars)Toyota, 8 years old: 75% in good shape (44 cars)Toyota, 9 years old: 56% in good shape (59 cars)Toyota, 10 years old: 68% in good shape (53 cars)Toyota, 11 years old: 62% in good shape (37 cars)Toyota, 12 years old: 43% in good shape (44 cars)Toyota, 13 years old: 32% in good shape (56 cars)Toyota, 14 years old: 39% in good shape (41 cars)Toyota, 15 years old: 32% in good shape (44 cars)Toyota, 16 years old: 27% in good shape (30 cars) Volkswagen, 2 years old: 94%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Volkswagen, 3 years old: 95%, drawn from the nearby bands (5 cars this age)Volkswagen, 4 years old: 82%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age)Volkswagen, 6 years old: 69%, drawn from the nearby bands (10 cars this age)Volkswagen, 7 years old: 56%, drawn from the nearby bands (15 cars this age)Volkswagen, 8 years old: 54%, drawn from the nearby bands (11 cars this age)Volkswagen, 9 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (17 cars this age)Volkswagen, 10 years old: 43%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Volkswagen, 11 years old: 45%, drawn from the nearby bands (12 cars this age)Volkswagen, 13 years old: 24%, drawn from the nearby bands (7 cars this age)Volkswagen, 14 years old: 52%, drawn from the nearby bands (8 cars this age) 2y 4y 6y 8y 10y 12y 14y 16y vehicle age when we inspected it

Share in good shape (scoring 60+/100) by mileage and by age when we inspected them (each dot ≥5 cars; a band under 20 cars follows the nearby bands, so a run above the all-cars line stays above it, and a band of 20 or more uses the rate we measured; where a band has too few cars, the line follows the trend between the bands on either side; rolled-back odometers excluded from the mileage curve). Dashed grey = all cars we check.

Most common faults
Toyota
Oil leaks · Engine
47%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
36%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
26%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
21%
Tire pressure monitoring system · Brakes and tires
20%
Volkswagen
Oil leaks · Engine
76%
Active error codes · Electronic equipment
50%
Tires condition & wear · Brakes and tires
41%
Fuel trim out of range · Engine
27%
Electronic components issues · Engine
18%
Trajectory by generation
Toyota ▲ Newer Toyotas are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 69% in good shape (age-adjusted; 59 cars, raw 64%) 69 2015–17: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 121 cars, raw 70%) 74 2018–20: 74% in good shape (age-adjusted; 77 cars, raw 79%) 74 2021+: 76% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 89%) 76 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+
Volkswagen ▲ Newer Volkswagens are holding up better 40% 60% 80% 2012–14: 40% in good shape (age-adjusted; 19 cars, raw 37%) 40 2015–17: 56% in good shape (age-adjusted; 25 cars, raw 52%) 56 2018–20: 69% in good shape (age-adjusted; 15 cars, raw 73%) 69 2009–11 2012–14 2015–17 2018–20 2021+

Share in good shape when inspected at the same age (5–10 years, age-adjusted), by model-year generation; dashed = all-brand average. All brands →

FAQ
?
Which is more reliable, Toyota or Volkswagen?
In our inspections, Toyota’s average condition stays above the “decent” threshold to around 146k miles, versus 120k for Volkswagen.
?
What are the most common problems with used Toyotas and Volkswagens?
On Toyotas we flag oil leaks (47%), tires condition & wear (36%), active error codes (26%). On Volkswagens: oil leaks (76%), active error codes (50%), tires condition & wear (41%).
?
How many Toyota and Volkswagen vehicles have you inspected?
773 Toyotas and 131 Volkswagens — 904 real pre-purchase inspections. Updated Nov 7, 2026.
?
How long do Toyota and Volkswagen stay in decent condition?
In our data, decent is a 55/100 score. The average Toyota dips below it around 146k mi; Volkswagen around 120k mi. Individual cars vary — get the one you’re buying inspected.
Buying a used Toyota or Volkswagen? Get a pre-purchase inspection before you pay.
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Based on 904 inspections · updated Nov 7, 2026