823,700 Golfs had an MOT in 2025. 76.2% passed first time, against 70.0% for other cars of the same age and mileage. That is 6.2 points better than comparable cars. Those registered from 2007 onwards pass more often than other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often Golfs of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 55.7% | −0.3 | 15,497 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 56.2% | +0.6 | 24,084 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 57.9% | +2.0 | 34,080 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 59.0% | +3.5 | 35,120 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 62.0% | +5.4 | 40,377 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 62.5% | +4.8 | 41,911 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 63.8% | +3.9 | 48,269 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 66.9% | +4.8 | 50,727 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 75.4% | +10.8 | 54,226 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 79.0% | +11.6 | 63,731 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 81.8% | +10.7 | 66,991 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 84.0% | +9.8 | 64,564 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 84.8% | +7.1 | 69,478 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 86.1% | +5.6 | 61,706 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 86.9% | +3.5 | 56,500 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 90.0% | +3.9 | 42,047 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 90.9% | +4.0 | 28,658 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 91.9% | +3.5 | 25,734 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
1.0% of Golf MOTs failed on seat belts and supplementary restraint systems, against 1.1% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 6.4% on tyres, against 6.7%.
Golfs pass more often than cars of the same age and mileage at every mileage, by 3.5 to 8.2 points. The gap is widest at 60–90k miles.
Diesels passed 71.3% first time, 6.0 points above comparable cars; petrols passed 79.7%, 6.7 points above comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 103,557 miles at the test, against 61,820 for petrols. Hybrids are mostly newer cars (median 39,979 miles), so compare them with care. Electrics are mostly newer cars (median 39,970 miles), so compare them with care.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 408,809 | 79.7% | 73.1% | +6.7 | 61,820 |
| Diesel | 380,513 | 71.3% | 65.3% | +6.0 | 103,557 |
| Hybrid | 26,972 | 88.9% | 83.9% | +4.9 | 39,979 |
| Electric | 7,401 | 85.6% | 84.5% | +1.1 | 39,970 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Golf ranks 1 of 15.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. VW Golf | 453,675 | 84.7% | 77.2% | +7.5 | |
| 2. Audi A3 | 236,485 | 83.4% | 76.3% | +7.1 | |
| 3. Skoda Octavia | 130,349 | 81.5% | 75.7% | +5.8 | |
| 4. Toyota Corolla | 55,580 | 89.2% | 84.2% | +5.1 | |
| 5. Toyota Auris | 78,822 | 78.5% | 73.7% | +4.8 | |
| 6. Honda Civic | 96,393 | 82.2% | 77.5% | +4.8 | |
| 7. BMW 1 Series | 216,359 | 81.6% | 77.1% | +4.5 | |
| 8. Seat Leon | 133,332 | 79.6% | 77.2% | +2.3 | |
| 9. Mercedes A-Class | 285,897 | 80.7% | 79.2% | +1.6 | |
| 10. Ford Focus | 433,954 | 77.1% | 76.9% | +0.2 | |
| 11. Kia Ceed | 68,633 | 75.8% | 76.8% | −1.0 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Astra | 259,770 | 73.6% | 75.2% | −1.6 | |
| 13. Hyundai i30 | 54,108 | 73.1% | 75.3% | −2.2 | |
| 14. Nissan Leaf | 42,108 | 78.9% | 81.7% | −2.7 | |
| 15. Peugeot 308 | 69,563 | 71.2% | 75.2% | −4.0 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on Golfs in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 76.2% of 823,700 Golf MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 70.0% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005 to 2006: level (−0.3 to +0.6 points). 2007 to 2022: ahead (+2.0 to +11.6 points).
None stand out: every registration year is within 1.5 points of cars of the same age and mileage, or ahead of them.
Coil spring: fractured or broken: 2.9% of Golf MOTs, against 2.7% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol Golfs passed 79.7% first time and diesels 71.3%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 6.7 points above and diesels 6.0 points above.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Ford Focus passed 77.1% first time, +0.2 points against comparable cars. The Golf passed 84.7%, +7.5 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Golf's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a VW Golf: 114 recorded model names, from "GOLF" to trims such as "GOLF LIFE TSI".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.