Vauxhall Astra vs Volkswagen Golf
On MOT-testable defects, the Volkswagen Golf (fail rate 18.6%) performed better than the Vauxhall Astra (22.4%) across comparable years. The biggest divergence was visibility, where the Astra recorded failures more often.
22.4%
Astra fail rate
18.6%
Golf fail rate
3.8pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | Vauxhall Astra | Volkswagen Golf |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 4,330,153 | 5,284,210 |
| Pass rate | 77.6% | 81.5% |
| Fail rate | 22.4% | 18.6% |
Where they differ
| Category | Astra | Golf |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 4.5% | 0.0% |
| Body, structure & corrosion | 0.0% | 3.3% |
| Lighting & signalling | 10.6% | 7.6% |
| Suspension | 10.1% | 8.1% |
| Brakes | 7.3% | 5.5% |
| Tyres | 6.3% | 5.5% |
Methodology & source. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.