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MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Volkswagen Golf MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 77.9% of 931,453 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Golf ended in a pass, 1.4 points above the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 86.9% against 82.0%, ranking 23rd of 148 models.

Pass rate
77.9%
All cars 76.5%
Tests
931,453
Initial MOTs in 2023
Ages 3 to 10
86.9%
All cars 82.0% · rank 23 of 148
Mileage at 10
89k
Median; middle half 67k to 111k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Volkswagen Golf MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

AgePass rateMileage
232,852 tests
92.8%
21,000 · 15k to 29k
350,412 tests
91.4%
27,000 · 19k to 39k
459,171 tests
90.7%
35,000 · 25k to 47k
564,811 tests
89.7%
45,000 · 33k to 59k
665,914 tests
88.5%
53,000 · 39k to 69k
766,008 tests
87.6%
61,000 · 45k to 79k
866,450 tests
85.3%
71,000 · 53k to 91k
959,917 tests
82.1%
81,000 · 61k to 103k
1052,576 tests
77.8%
89,000 · 67k to 111k
1152,767 tests
72.9%
97,000 · 73k to 123k
1250,710 tests
69.2%
103,000 · 79k to 131k
1349,311 tests
68.8%
109,000 · 83k to 135k
1443,431 tests
67.2%
115,000 · 89k to 143k
1547,516 tests
64.8%
121,000 · 95k to 147k
1641,319 tests
62.6%
121,000 · 95k to 149k
1730,787 tests
61.0%
125,000 · 97k to 151k
1819,806 tests
59.9%
125,000 · 97k to 153k
1918,205 tests
62.3%
127,000 · 97k to 161k
2018,775 tests
63.4%
137,000 · 103k to 173k
2113,637 tests
63.6%
133,000 · 99k to 169k
227,832 tests
63.3%
125,000 · 95k to 159k
234,143 tests
62.9%
125,000 · 91k to 159k
242,577 tests
62.1%
113,000 · 87k to 149k
251,183 tests
66.6%
109,000 · 83k to 139k
Golf pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Golf. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
3.0in 100 tests
Tyre tread
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
2.2in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1.9in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1.7in 100 tests
Tyres
A tyre cords visible or damaged
1.7in 100 tests
Steering joint covers
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
1.6in 100 tests
Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
1.4in 100 tests
Side and tail lights
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
1.4in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Shock absorbers
A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
10.1in 100 tests
Brake discs
Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured
9.5in 100 tests
Brake pads
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
7.7in 100 tests
Engine oil leaks
Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users
4.2in 100 tests
Coil springs
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
3.2in 100 tests
Windscreen
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view (minor defect)
3.0in 100 tests
Suspension and drive joints
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated (minor defect)
3.0in 100 tests
Number plates
Number plate inscription missing or illegible
2.6in 100 tests

What to check on a used Golf

The parts that come up most often in Volkswagen Golf MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

  1. Shock absorbers
    Push down hard on each corner: it should rise once and settle. Oil on the shock absorber body is a sign of a leak.
  2. Brake discs and pads
    Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
  3. Oil leaks
    Look under the engine and gearbox, and at the ground where the car was parked, for fresh oil.
  4. Coil springs
    Compare the gap between each tyre and its wheel arch. A corner sitting lower than the others can mean a broken spring.
  5. Wipers, washers and windscreen
    Run the wipers and washers, and look for chips or cracks in the windscreen, above all in front of the driver.

Check a specific Golf

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

UK

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Volkswagen Golf?
In 2023, 77.9% of 931,453 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Golf ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 86.9% against 82.0%.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Golf MOT?
The most common failures were coil springs (3.0 in 100 tests), tyre tread (2.2 in 100 tests), suspension and drive joints (1.9 in 100 tests).
What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Volkswagen Golf?
At 10 years old, the median Volkswagen Golf at its MOT had covered 89,000 miles, and the middle half had between 67,000 and 111,000 miles.
What do MOT testers most often advise on a Volkswagen Golf?
The most common advisories were shock absorbers (10.1 in 100 tests), brake discs (9.5 in 100 tests), brake pads (7.7 in 100 tests).

Other Volkswagen models

Overall MOT pass rate in 2023. Compare all Volkswagen models or see every make.

Golf77.9%Polo73.1%Transporter72.8%Tiguan84.6%Passat75.0%Caddy74.4%up!86.3%Touran71.9%Crafter72.3%T-Roc93.1%Scirocco74.3%Beetle64.1%Sharan79.0%Touareg79.3%Fox61.1%Amarok82.0%Caravelle69.2%Jetta69.7%CC77.2%Eos69.1%California84.9%LT59.9%Lupo66.3%Bora65.4%Arteon87.9%

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.