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Volkswagen Golf vs Volkswagen Light van: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Volkswagen Golf
75%
MOT pass rate · 1,830,545 vehicles
More reliable
Volkswagen Light van
64%
MOT pass rate · 33 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Golf is the more reliable of the two — 75% pass first time versus 64%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Head to head

Measure Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Light van
MOT pass rate 75% ✓ 64%
MOT failure rate 25% ✓ 36%
Faults & advisories per test 2.0 ✓ 3.2
Dangerous-fault share 2% 1% ✓
Average mileage 117,668 mi 94,960 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 1,830,545 33

Most common faults

Volkswagen Golf

  1. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  2. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  3. Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  4. Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))
  6. Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Volkswagen Light van

  1. Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)
  2. Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
  3. Oil leak
  4. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  5. Offside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)
  6. Oil leak

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate, the Volkswagen Golf is the more reliable of the two — 75% pass first time versus 64%. It's one signal among several; check the full breakdown below.

Full Volkswagen Golf report Full Volkswagen Light van report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.