2019 Volkswagen Golf — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 235,332 MOT tests, the 2019 Volkswagen Golf recorded a 91.8% pass rate. That is 1.4 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 9.6%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.9%) and lighting & signalling (1.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 3,819 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 14.8% versus 5.5%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.1pp more often than petrol ones (10.4% vs 7.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 21.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 5.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 9.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.9% | 11,422 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.9% | 4,405 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.5% | 3,476 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.3% | 3,162 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 2,918 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 1,371 |
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 | 3,819 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 3,792 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 3,412 |
| 4 | Shock absorbers | 2,038 |
| 5 | Wipers | 2,007 |
| 6 | Washers | 1,492 |
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 | 21.6% | 50,915 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.2% | 28,609 |
| 3 | Suspension | 9.8% | 23,096 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.1% | 11,889 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.3% | 5,327 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.8% | 1,843 |
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 | 97,769 | 5.5% |
| 30-60k | 106,053 | 9.3% |
| 60-90k | 25,876 | 12.6% |
| 90-120k | 4,482 | 15.3% |
| 120-150k | 883 | 14.3% |
| 150k+ | 264 | 14.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 168,382 | 7.3% |
| Diesel | 66,885 | 10.4% |
| Electric | 37 | 16.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,716 | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 59,020 | 6.9% |
| 2023 | 58,530 | 8.0% |
| 2024 | 57,256 | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 57,810 | 9.5% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Golf
On a 2019 Golf, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.9% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.9% 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 (1.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
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 2019 Volkswagen Golfs pass their MOT?
91.8% of the 235,332 2019 Volkswagen Golf MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Volkswagen Golf?
Tyres, recorded in 4.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (1.9%).
Does the 2019 Golf get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.5% in the 0-30k band to 14.8% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 235,332 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.