Volkswagen Golf: reliability by registration year
1988-2023 · 33 registration years · 842,848 first tests
Registration years
First-attempt MOT results for every Golf registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.
| Year | First tests | First-attempt pass | Incl. PRS | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 922 | 94.7% | 95.7% | |
| 2022 | 24,414 | 91.7% | 93.1% | Tyre condition (front) 26.8% |
| 2021 | 27,374 | 90.8% | 92.3% | Tyre condition (front) 23.8% |
| 2020 | 38,117 | 90.2% | 91.8% | Tyre condition (front) 22.1% |
| 2019 | 50,876 | 86.9% | 89.4% | Tyre condition (front) 18.6% |
| 2018 | 59,286 | 86.0% | 88.8% | Tyre condition (front) 17.3% |
| 2017 | 67,347 | 84.8% | 87.8% | Tyre condition (front) 15.2% |
| 2016 | 62,677 | 84.0% | 86.8% | Tyre condition (front) 15.9% |
| 2015 | 65,061 | 81.7% | 85.0% | Tyre condition (front) 12.4% |
| 2014 | 61,863 | 78.9% | 82.8% | Tyre condition (front) 11.3% |
| 2013 | 52,726 | 75.3% | 79.7% | Coil spring (rear) 10.4% |
| about 2 in every 100 better than the years either side. What most often failed a 2013 Golf: Coil spring (rear) (10.4%) · Tyre condition (front) (9.7%) · Tyre tread depth (front) (7.2%) | ||||
| 2012 | 49,327 | 66.7% | 71.5% | Coil spring (front) 12.6% |
| about 3 in every 100 worse than the years either side. What most often failed a 2012 Golf: Coil spring (front) (12.6%) · Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) (12.1%) · Tyre condition (front) (8.6%) | ||||
| 2011 | 46,753 | 63.4% | 69.0% | Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 12.4% |
| 2010 | 40,499 | 62.1% | 67.9% | Coil spring (front) 10.7% |
| 2009 | 38,839 | 61.7% | 68.3% | Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 12.0% |
| 2008 | 33,663 | 58.4% | 65.0% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 15.1% |
| 2007 | 32,607 | 57.3% | 64.5% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 13.9% |
| 2006 | 22,937 | 55.5% | 63.0% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 16.0% |
| 2005 | 14,756 | 55.1% | 63.0% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 14.9% |
| 2004 | 9,088 | 50.8% | 59.4% | Petrol engine warning light 16.2% |
| 2003 | 13,117 | 56.5% | 64.5% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 9.8% |
| 2002 | 11,184 | 57.8% | 65.4% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 11.2% |
| 2001 | 6,179 | 58.1% | 65.5% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 11.2% |
| 2000 | 3,407 | 57.3% | 65.2% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 16.2% |
| 1999 | 2,054 | 56.8% | 63.6% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 17.4% |
| 1998 | 966 | 58.4% | 64.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 17.0% |
| 1997 | 815 | 67.0% | 73.5% | |
| 1996 | 762 | 64.6% | 70.1% | |
| 1992 | 521 | 68.5% | 73.3% | |
| 1991 | 1,518 | 73.8% | 77.2% | Petrol emissions (no catalyst) 13.2% |
| 1990 | 1,455 | 72.5% | 76.8% | Petrol emissions (no catalyst) 14.1% |
| 1989 | 1,109 | 68.3% | 72.9% | Petrol emissions (no catalyst) 16.2% |
| 1988 | 629 | 69.6% | 73.6% | |