MOT performance
Volkswagen Golf diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 885,138 MOT tests on diesel Volkswagen Golfs in 2023–2024 (on average 11 years old at test, median 99,529 miles), 70.2% passed first time, against 77.0% of 895,620 petrol Volkswagen Golf tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Volkswagen Golfs failed 12% less often than comparable cars — 0.88× against 0.83× for the Volkswagen Golf as a whole.
885,138 MOT tests on 461,294 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 70.2% | ±0.1 pts (95%), n = 885,138 |
| All Volkswagen Golfs | 73.9% | n = 1,817,206 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 0.88× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Volkswagen Golf overall 0.83× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 9.2% | n = 885,138 |
| Average age at test | 11 years | n = 885,138 |
| Registration years covered | 1979–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Volkswagen Golf fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel).
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 895,620 | 10.2 yrs | 77.0% | -22% | 6.4% |
| Diesel | 885,138 | 11 yrs | 70.2% | -12% | 9.2% |
| Hybrid | 34,817 | 4.2 yrs | 87.7% | -5% | 5.3% |
| Electric | 1,629 | 5.4 yrs | 85.1% | -24% | 7.2% |
Where diesel Volkswagen Golfs differ
No single MOT area stands out: the diesel Volkswagen Golf's difference from the model (5% on the adjusted failure ratio) is spread across the test.
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Volkswagen Golfs (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 11.6% (-6%) | 9.2% (-12%) |
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 9.8% (-30%) | 8.6% (-32%) |
| Brakes | 8.2% (-10%) | 6.5% (-18%) |
| Tyres | 7.6% (+3%) | 6.7% (-2%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 4.2% (-15%) | 3.8% (-11%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 3.7% (-28%) | 3.4% (-34%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% (-7%) | 3.5% (-6%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.5% (+1%) | 1.3% (-1%) |
| Steering | 1.0% (-66%) | 0.9% (-61%) |
| Road wheels | 0.5% (-14%) | 0.4% (-11%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.4% (-11%) | 0.4% (-8%) |
Most common diesel Volkswagen Golf failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 3.81% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 2.94% |
| Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis and structure | 2.27% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 2.24% |
| Condition: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 2.10% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) | hybrid pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 87.0% (43,953) | 90.6% (135,436) | 89.5% (10,405) |
| 5-6 | 84.9% (88,889) | 88.0% (153,312) | 85.1% (8,866) |
| 7-8 | 82.1% (140,400) | 86.1% (117,114) | 82.1% (5,170) |
| 9-10 | 75.8% (152,324) | 81.3% (82,561) | 82.3% (412) |
| 11-12 | 66.0% (141,797) | 71.5% (64,229) | — |
| 13-15 | 59.8% (162,424) | 64.4% (109,014) | — |
| 16+ | 53.8% (147,062) | 58.4% (198,967) | — |
Volkswagen Golf by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1989 Volkswagen Golf · 70.8%
- 1990 Volkswagen Golf · 69.4%
- 1991 Volkswagen Golf · 72.1%
- 1997 Volkswagen Golf · 64.8%
- 1998 Volkswagen Golf · 58.3%
- 1999 Volkswagen Golf · 55.8%
- 2000 Volkswagen Golf · 56.4%
- 2001 Volkswagen Golf · 55.8%
- 2002 Volkswagen Golf · 56.2%
- 2003 Volkswagen Golf · 56.7%
- 2004 Volkswagen Golf · 50.8%
- 2005 Volkswagen Golf · 53.9%
- 2006 Volkswagen Golf · 54.4%
- 2007 Volkswagen Golf · 57.6%
- 2008 Volkswagen Golf · 59.7%
- 2009 Volkswagen Golf · 62.8%
- 2010 Volkswagen Golf · 62.9%
- 2011 Volkswagen Golf · 65.3%
- 2012 Volkswagen Golf · 69.3%
- 2013 Volkswagen Golf · 76.7%
- 2014 Volkswagen Golf · 79.9%
- 2015 Volkswagen Golf · 83.2%
- 2016 Volkswagen Golf · 85.5%
- 2017 Volkswagen Golf · 86.3%
- 2018 Volkswagen Golf · 87.6%
- 2019 Volkswagen Golf · 89.0%
- 2020 Volkswagen Golf · 91.0%
- 2021 Volkswagen Golf · 90.1%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Volkswagen Golf
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.