Pricing

Volkswagen MOT pass rates and common failures

Volkswagen Golf and Polo are perennial shortlist picks. Don't gamble — see how VW models perform in MOT data at 5–10 years, beyond one clean pass.

MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating — it is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for each make and model in this age band. Use Compare for two models, or browse Volkswagen MOT reports.

6.3 million Volkswagen vehicles in the UK MOT source dataset (all registration years). In the 5–10 years old (registration era) age band: 5.6M MOT tests across all models — the same metric shown in the brand matrix drawer. Model cards below are per-model totals in that band.

Data created

Volkswagen in brand matrixCompare Volkswagen modelsUnlock full reports

Top Volkswagen models by MOT test volume

The four models with the most MOT tests in our Volkswagen lineup at 5–10 years. Pass rate and failure category split are public; defect codes and severity detail require credits.

Volkswagen Golf

1.4M MOT tests in age band · 88.6% pass rate

88.6%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare GOLF with another model

Volkswagen Polo

1.1M MOT tests in age band · 85.1% pass rate

85.1%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare POLO with another model

Volkswagen Tiguan

634k MOT tests in age band · 88.6% pass rate

88.6%

Failure breakdown (public summary)

  • Owner neglect
  • Wear & tear
  • Systemic
  • Other
Compare TIGUAN with another model

What a full Volkswagen GOLF report looks like

Vehicle age: 5–10 years old (registration era). Pass rate and category split above are live age-band aggregates; the sections below show the report layout subscribers unlock.

Pass rate

88.6%

Live age-band stat

Maintenance compliance

74 / 100

Mileage-normalised score

Defects per 1k miles

7.1

vs age-band percentile

Common systemic components

  • Suspension arm bush worn excessively (1.1.11 (c))
  • Coil spring fractured or broken (1.1.2 (a))
  • Brake disc worn, pitted or scored (1.1.14 (a) (ii))
  • Excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint (2.1.3 (b))

Unlock DVSA-coded defects, severity splits, first-MOT patterns, and year-on-year trends for VOLKSWAGEN GOLF

Run full MOT reportView pricing

More brand research

Volkswagen MOT data — common questions

Does a good Volkswagen MOT pass rate mean the car is reliable?

No. MOT pass rate is not a reliability rating. It is the share of recorded DVSA tests that passed for that Volkswagen model in this 5–10 year band. It does not prove breakdowns, repair cost, or the condition of one seller’s car.

Which Volkswagen models have the most MOT tests on this page?

The four highest-volume models in this age band are Golf (88.6% pass rate, 1.4M tests); Polo (85.1% pass rate, 1.1M tests); Tiguan (88.6% pass rate, 634k tests); Transporter (82.9% pass rate, 509k tests). Pass rate is a test outcome, not a ranking of the most reliable car.

Is this Volkswagen page a registration MOT check?

No. This is make and model research from aggregated DVSA tests. For one vehicle, use GOV.UK MOT history. Use Compare to put two models on the same age band.