2016 Volkswagen Golf — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 363,824 MOT tests, the 2016 Volkswagen Golf recorded an 89.8% pass rate. Against small family cars of a similar age (13.7% fail rate), the 2016 Golf comes out 3.5pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests against 2.3% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, wipers and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 7,735 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 15.2% versus 6.0%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.0% fail against 13.4% for hybrid, a 4.3-point gap across 175,779 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.4% | 19,622 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.3% | 8,530 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.0% | 7,416 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.0% | 7,304 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.0% | 7,156 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 3,252 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 7,735 |
| 2 | Wipers | 5,904 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,490 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 5,346 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 4,568 |
| 6 | Brake discs | 2,819 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.7% | 86,070 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.9% | 65,035 |
| 3 | Suspension | 14.2% | 51,517 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.0% | 21,702 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.1% | 11,181 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.3% | 4,742 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 43,502 | 6.0% |
| 30-60k | 160,779 | 8.8% |
| 60-90k | 110,906 | 11.9% |
| 90-120k | 37,068 | 14.5% |
| 120-150k | 8,922 | 14.9% |
| 150k+ | 2,625 | 15.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 187,890 | 11.1% |
| Petrol | 166,184 | 9.0% |
| Hybrid | 9,595 | 13.4% |
| Electric | 155 | 11.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 72,740 | 8.6% |
| 2022 | 72,840 | 9.4% |
| 2023 | 72,866 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 72,813 | 11.0% |
| 2025 | 72,565 | 11.7% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Golf
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.4% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (2.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.0% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2016 Volkswagen Golfs pass their MOT?
89.8% of the 363,824 2016 Volkswagen Golf MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Volkswagen Golf?
Tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.3%).
Does the 2016 Golf get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.0% in the 0-30k band to 15.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 363,824 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.