2025 MOT results
Volkswagen Golf common problems
The most common reason a Volkswagen Golf fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 11.7% of its 218,900 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a leaking damper at 7.7% of failures against 3.3% expected; a split joint boot at 6.1% of failures against 3.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 875,265 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 25.0% 218,900 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 55.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Volkswagen Golf MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Volkswagen Golf tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 11.7% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.7% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 7.7% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 7.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.5% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.7% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 4.4% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.1% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Broken coil spring
11.7% of failures 8.9% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
8.7% of failures 7.7% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Leaking damper
7.7% of failures 3.3% expected 2.3 times as often
A damper leaking its oil, so it no longer controls the spring.
A wet, dirty streak down the damper body, or a corner that keeps bouncing after you push it down.
-
Split joint boot
7.0% of failures 5.0% expected somewhat more often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Engine management light on
7.0% of failures 5.4% expected somewhat more often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Worn brake pads
6.7% of failures 5.9% expected about as expected
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Volkswagen Golf, on 37.6% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 25.1% against 21.3% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 37.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 31.8% |
| Tyres | 25.1% |
| Brakes | 22.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.7% |
| Visibility | 11.9% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
55.0% of Volkswagen Golf tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Volkswagen Golfs, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.7% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.5% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 9.4% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.8% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.0% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.5% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.9% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.6% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 2.9% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 2.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Volkswagen Golf gets older
A 2022 Volkswagen Golf failed 8.1% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 1999 one failed 42.7%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Volkswagen Golf 8.1% failed, from 25,467 tests
- Cut tyre 23.1%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 13.8%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 12.9%
- Leaking damper 8.8%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 7.0%
- Washers that do not work 6.2%
1999 Volkswagen Golf 42.7% failed, from 2,166 tests
- Sidelight out 12.1%
- Airbag light on 9.1%
- Emissions above the limit 8.6%
- Weak handbrake 8.6%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 8.0%
- Brake light out 7.9%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Volkswagen Golf problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Volkswagen Golf?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 11.7% of failed Volkswagen Golf tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 37.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Volkswagen Golf fail its MOT?
25.0% of Volkswagen Golf tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 875,265 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 58 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Volkswagen Golf than on other cars?
Yes. “Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak” appears on 7.7% of its failures against 3.3% for cars of the same age, and “Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 6.1% of its failures against 3.2% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Volkswagen Golf aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 875,265 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.