Volkswagen Golf
1.4M MOT tests at 5–10 years
88.6%
Failure breakdown · public summary
- Owner maintenance74%
- Wear & tear10%
- Systemic1%
- Other14%
Brand research · 4 models · 5–10 years old (registration era)
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.
Data created
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.
- 88.6%
- Highest here: Volkswagen Golf1.4M MOT tests
- 82.9%
- Lowest here: Volkswagen Transporter509k MOT tests
- 5.6M
- MOT tests at 5–10 years old (registration era)all models, same metric as the brand matrix
- 6.3 million
- Volkswagen vehicles in the source dataall registration years
Two Volkswagen models can sit 5.7 points apart on the same badge — research the model, then inspect the car.
By model
Top Volkswagen models by MOT test volume
The 4 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 Polo
1.1M MOT tests at 5–10 years
85.1%
Failure breakdown · public summary
- Owner maintenance58%
- Wear & tear24%
- Systemic2%
- Other16%
Volkswagen Tiguan
634k MOT tests at 5–10 years
88.6%
Failure breakdown · public summary
- Owner maintenance62%
- Wear & tear21%
- Systemic2%
- Other15%
Volkswagen Transporter
509k MOT tests at 5–10 years
82.9%
Failure breakdown · public summary
- Owner maintenance56%
- Wear & tear16%
- Systemic5%
- Other22%
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.
Go deeper
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 credits 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