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. On a Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A bought as a 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 what damaged Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-As actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

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

  1. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.2% of tests
  2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.7% of tests
  3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 0.7% of tests
  4. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.7% of tests
  5. An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction, 0.2% of tests
  6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.2% of tests
  7. Seat belt buckle missing, damaged or not functioning as intended, 0.2% of tests (1.84x the national rate for this defect)
  8. A wheel with a loose or missing wheel nut, bolt or stud, 0.2% of tests
  9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 0.2% of tests
  10. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 0.2% of tests

From 5,986 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.55% of these flagged Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

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

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. 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

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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate