63.8%passed first time

Share of initial MOT tests passed with no repairs. Repairs made at the test centre count as a fail. 95% range 63.4% to 64.2% (±0.5 points).

2011 Volkswagen Golf63.8%
All vehicles first used in 201161.2%

That is 2.6 points above the average for all vehicles first used in 2011 (61.2%). These cars were about 14 years old at the test.

Failure areas compared with all 2011 vehicles

Compared with all vehicles first used in 2011, failures are more common in suspension (1.1×) and brakes (1.1×), and less common in lights and electrics (0.7×), body, chassis, structure (0.8×), windscreen, wipers, mirrors (0.7×), noise, emissions, leaks (0.7×) and steering (0.1×). Other differences are within the margin of error.

Failed tests with a fault in each area, per 100 tests. The right-hand column shows how many times as often as all vehicles first used in 2011.

Suspension17.8 in 100 tests1.1× compared with 15.8 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Lights and electrics12.1 in 100 tests0.7× compared with 17.5 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Brakes9.6 in 100 tests1.1× compared with 9.0 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Tyres7.4 in 100 tests1.0× compared with 7.3 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Body, chassis, structure4.4 in 100 tests0.8× compared with 5.3 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Windscreen, wipers, mirrors4.0 in 100 tests0.7× compared with 5.4 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Noise, emissions, leaks2.8 in 100 tests0.7× compared with 4.1 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011
Seat belts and airbags1.0 in 100 tests– no reliable figure for all vehicles first used in 2011
Wheels0.5 in 100 tests– no reliable figure for all vehicles first used in 2011
Number plates and VIN0.4 in 100 tests– no reliable figure for all vehicles first used in 2011
Steering0.3 in 100 tests0.1× compared with 3.2 in 100 for all vehicles first used in 2011

All vehicles first used in 2011: the 185 models in our data, 1,445,723 tests (96.0% of all 1,506,534 tests on vehicles first used in 2011). Areas with fewer than 50 failures in a model aren't published, so an area is only compared when that leaves the all-vehicles figure at most 10% short; otherwise it shows –.

Typical mileage at test112,400

Median odometer reading at the 2025 MOT test, in miles. Half had more and half had less.

After an MOT advisory

2011 Volkswagen Golf cars that passed their 2024 MOT first time with an advisory, and what their next MOT found, against similar cars that passed with nothing noted in that area. Only cars first used in 2011.

Tyres

Of 2011 Volkswagen Golf cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a tyre advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 9.2% failed on tyres, against 5.5% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 5,953 and 17,632 cars.

With a tyre advisory9.2%
Similar cars, nothing noted5.5%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 12.7% of those with a tyre advisory and 11.7% of the others.

Brakes

Of 2011 Volkswagen Golf cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a brake advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 12.3% failed on brakes, against 7.3% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 4,439 and 19,149 cars.

With a brake advisory12.3%
Similar cars, nothing noted7.3%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 13.4% of those with a brake advisory and 11.6% of the others.

Suspension

Of 2011 Volkswagen Golf cars that passed their 2024 MOT with a suspension advisory and came back for their next MOT 10–14 months later, 19.8% failed on suspension, against 14.9% of similar cars with nothing noted. Based on 7,237 and 15,848 cars.

With a suspension advisory19.8%
Similar cars, nothing noted14.9%

Cars not tested again in that window are not included: 13.3% of those with a suspension advisory and 11.4% of the others.

Similar cars are the same model, first-use year and mileage band. Areas are the DVSA's top-level groups, so the later fail may not be the fault that was advised. These figures describe what happened to these cars. They don't show what a repair would have changed.

Volkswagen Golf, all first-use years together How we worked this out All models compared, with the data