Diesel Volkswagen Golf: MOT pass rate

74.7% of diesel Volkswagen Golfs pass the MOT first time, measured across 418,156 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 110,181.

Diesel against the other Volkswagen Golf versions

Why the fuel type changes the number

Diesels carry DPFs, EGR valves and stricter smoke limits, so emissions and exhaust faults account for failures petrol cars never see.

On the Volkswagen Golf specifically, electric is the strongest at 87.8%, and this diesel version sits 2.8 points below the 77.5% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The diesel Volkswagen Golf fails more often than the model average, so budget for the items that catch this fuel type and treat a fresh MOT as worth paying for. Buying a damaged one? run it through the analyzer, check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average diesel Volkswagen Golf had covered 110,181 miles at test, against 77,612 for the petrol and 62,324 for the hybrid and 47,906 for the electric. That is high mileage, so timing belts, clutches, suspension bushes and corrosion are the items worth budgeting for rather than the MOT itself.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Volkswagen Golf page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Most common MOT failures on a diesel Volkswagen Golf

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 2.4% of tests (2.55x the national rate for this defect)
2. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.4% of tests (2.41x the national rate for this defect)
3. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 1.5% of tests (2.26x the national rate for this defect)
4. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.1% of tests (2.03x the national rate for this defect)
5. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.7% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect)
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4% of tests (1.74x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.7% of tests (1.58x the national rate for this defect)
8. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 2% of tests (1.55x the national rate for this defect)
9. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.6% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)

From 420,301 DVSA-tracked diesel Volkswagen Golf tests, 2024, split out from the Volkswagen Golf's other fuel types. DVSA testers marked 5.09% of these flagged defects as "dangerous", against 5.11% nationally. See which fuel type fails on the most dangerous defects nationally for how that compares across the whole fleet.

Most common MOT advisories on a diesel Volkswagen Golf

Flagged but doesn't fail the car, a different list from the failures above.

1. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 18.3% of tests (4.67x the national rate for this defect), also fails
2. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 11.5% of tests (2.21x the national rate for this defect)
3. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.3% of tests (2.13x the national rate for this defect), also fails
4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 20% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this defect)
5. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 1.5% of tests (1.45x the national rate for this defect)
6. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.6% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 16% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 6.2% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this defect), also fails
9. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 1.4% of tests (1.29x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 33.4% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect), also fails

From 420,301 DVSA-tracked diesel Volkswagen Golf tests, 2024.

Other Volkswagen Golf fuel types

• Petrol Volkswagen Golf - 80.3%
• Hybrid Volkswagen Golf - 86.5%
• Electric Volkswagen Golf - 87.8%

All Volkswagen Golf MOT data · Every model