Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 16.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 4,085 individual Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate93.2%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+16.5 points
Tests analysed4,085
Average mileage at test27,423 miles
Average year of manufacture2021
Reliability rank225 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 93.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 7 in every 100 Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-As presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A tested had covered 27,423 miles and was built around 2021.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A sits 16.5 points above the national average, ranked 225 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-As at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A

  1. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.9% of tests
  2. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1% of tests
  3. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.9% of tests
  4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.9% of tests
  5. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.3% of tests
  6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.3% of tests
  7. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.3% of tests
  8. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.2% of tests
  9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.2% of tests
  10. Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended, 0.2% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this defect)

From 4,077 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.56% of these flagged Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A before it actually fails on it.

  1. A tyre seriously damaged, 28.1% of tests (1.82x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  2. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 5.1% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 19.8% of tests, also fails
  4. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 1.3% of tests
  5. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.6% of tests
  6. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 0.5% of tests
  7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 0.5% of tests
  8. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.4% of tests
  9. An obstruction significantly affecting the driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen or an obligatory external mirror not visible, 0.1% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this advisory)
  10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.1% of tests

From 4,077 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A pass rate by model year

From its 2020 to its 2021 model year, the Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A's first-time pass rate has fallen 0.6 points, from 93.9% to 93.3%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A year:

Other Volkswagen models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

Embed this data

Run a site about the Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A MOT pass rate badge: 93.2%

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-golf-life-etsi-s-a"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/volkswagen-golf-life-etsi-s-a.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A MOT Pass Rate: 93.2% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A most common MOT failure: A tyre seriously damaged (2.9% of tests)

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/volkswagen-golf-life-etsi-s-a"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/volkswagen-golf-life-etsi-s-a.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A most common MOT failure: A tyre seriously damaged (2.9% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate