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Volkswagen Golf — Reliability by Year

1,793,366 vehicles · MOT data 1980–2023 · first-test pass rates

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

✓
Best pass rate year
2022
96.4% pass rate · 1,919 vehicles
⚠
Lowest pass rate year
1988
63.5% pass rate · 21,605 vehicles
Year Pass rate Avg mileage Vehicles
2023 First MOTs due 2026+ 21,480 mi 244
2022
96.4%
24,187 mi 1,919
2021
93.2%
30,037 mi 199
2020
93.5%
30,797 mi 7,032
2019
91.7%
35,125 mi 49,369
2018
90.0%
40,012 mi 63,389
2017
89.8%
44,740 mi 72,695
2016
88.8%
49,511 mi 68,972
2015
87.9%
54,368 mi 72,652
2014
86.6%
61,070 mi 71,478
2013
85.2%
65,211 mi 62,610
2012
82.6%
70,740 mi 60,233
2011
80.8%
76,746 mi 62,323
2010
79.8%
79,359 mi 59,091
2009
79.8%
79,167 mi 60,329
2008
77.6%
86,374 mi 65,279
2007
76.9%
86,669 mi 73,070
2006
75.2%
86,997 mi 69,275
2005
74.5%
89,030 mi 71,843
2004
73.4%
88,338 mi 67,944
2003
73.6%
92,442 mi 70,245
2002
72.3%
96,642 mi 85,422
2001
71.3%
96,249 mi 75,737
2000
70.1%
99,898 mi 64,937
1999
68.0%
100,628 mi 64,605
1998
67.5%
101,879 mi 41,033
1997
67.2%
105,163 mi 37,040
1996
66.9%
108,129 mi 47,476
1995
65.9%
109,310 mi 39,268
1994
65.0%
111,193 mi 35,782
1993
64.7%
109,056 mi 25,604
1992
65.0%
116,019 mi 20,208
1991
65.9%
121,648 mi 18,994
1990
65.7%
120,617 mi 26,376
1989
64.6%
119,995 mi 25,514
1988
63.5%
118,988 mi 21,605
1987
64.0%
118,562 mi 7,318
1986
64.6%
108,455 mi 4,972
1985
65.5%
99,585 mi 3,979
1984
66.0%
101,446 mi 3,216
1983
68.2%
121,510 mi 5,279
1982
66.3%
100,478 mi 3,337
1981
65.2%
99,702 mi 3,647
1980
67.8%
93,231 mi 1,826

* UK vehicles require their first MOT at 3 years old. Recent model years shown in grey have little or no MOT test data yet — pass rate data will build up as those vehicles mature.

Which year Volkswagen Golf 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 24,187 miles (newest year) to 121,648 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.

See the buying guide →

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