2018 Volkswagen Golf — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Volkswagen Golf passed 91.0% of its 341,640 recorded MOT tests. Small family cars of a similar age fail 10.4% of the time, so this is 1.4pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.0%) and visibility (3.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 10,571 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 12.1% versus 6.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 8.2% fail against 10.8% for hybrid, a 2.7-point gap across 245,799 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.0% | 17,058 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.2% | 10,812 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 7,109 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.5% | 5,099 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.3% | 4,418 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.5% | 1,635 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 10,571 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 6,418 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,911 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 4,606 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 3,337 |
| 6 | Washers | 2,558 |
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 | 23.3% | 79,584 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.9% | 44,183 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.0% | 40,902 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.3% | 18,085 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.8% | 9,588 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.8% | 2,781 |
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 | 113,974 | 6.7% |
| 30-60k | 159,993 | 9.2% |
| 60-90k | 53,681 | 11.8% |
| 90-120k | 11,156 | 14.3% |
| 120-150k | 2,064 | 13.0% |
| 150k+ | 763 | 12.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 228,298 | 8.2% |
| Diesel | 92,540 | 10.6% |
| Hybrid | 17,501 | 10.8% |
| Electric | 3,301 | 9.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 70,653 | 9.1% |
| 2022 | 68,559 | 8.0% |
| 2023 | 67,846 | 8.4% |
| 2024 | 67,170 | 9.3% |
| 2025 | 67,412 | 10.1% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Golf
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.0% 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.
- Visibility (3.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 2018 Volkswagen Golfs pass their MOT?
91.0% of the 341,640 2018 Volkswagen Golf MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Volkswagen Golf?
Tyres, recorded in 5.0% of tests, followed by visibility (3.2%).
Does the 2018 Golf get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.7% in the 0-30k band to 12.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 341,640 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.