What year Volkswagen Golf S TDI is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 2012 Volkswagen Golf S TDI has the highest pass rate at 88.1%, out of 644 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Volkswagen Golf S TDI MOT failures?

The most common Volkswagen Golf S TDI MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Volkswagen Golf S TDI — Reliability by Year

4,339 vehicles · MOT data 1998–2012 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Volkswagen Golf S TDI was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

2012

88.1% pass rate · 644 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1999

73.2% pass rate · 181 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
2012	88.1%	103,618 mi	644
2011	85.1%	116,200 mi	763
2010	83.9%	122,169 mi	1,467
2009	82.2%	122,523 mi	725
2001	74.0%	171,026 mi	268
2000	76.5%	175,202 mi	188
1999	73.2%	173,696 mi	181
1998	74.4%	189,154 mi	103

Which year Volkswagen Golf S TDI is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests. Green = noticeably above average for this model; red = noticeably below average.

Tests range from an average of 103,618 miles (newest year) to 189,154 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Volkswagen Golf S TDI.

See the buying guide →

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Check any UK registration — free MOT history and risk insights.