MOT fail rates by first-use year

2006 Volkswagen Golf MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Golf cars first used in 2006 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 129,572 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 19 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 19 (n=24,358)43.3%

All cars at 19 years (n=2,479,858)43.2%

Difference+0.1 pts

MOT tests of 2006 cars, 2022 to 2025129,572

What stands out

In 2025, at 19 years old, Volkswagen Golf cars first used in 2006 failed 43.3% of MOTs (24,358 tests), about the same as the 43.2% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 16 to 19 years old, the fail rate moved from 45.0% to 43.3%.
Volkswagen Golf cars first used a year earlier, in 2005, failed 45.0% at the same age of 19 years (20,033 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Golf at 19 years, is driveshaft CV boot split, at 5.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 3.2).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Golf cars first used in 2006: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	16 years	45.0%	40,432	42.6%	+2.5 pts
2023	17 years	45.3%	35,209	43.1%	+2.2 pts
2024	18 years	44.9%	29,573	43.3%	+1.7 pts
2025	19 years	43.3%	24,358	43.2%	+0.1 pts

Most common faults at 19 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Golf MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,193). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Driveshaft CV boot split	5.9	3.2
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear	5.0	4.1
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	4.7	2.6
Side/position light not working Wear	4.3	5.4
Coil spring broken	4.1	2.8
Brake light not working Wear	3.9	4.0
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.6	2.8
Suspension arm bush worn	3.4	2.2
Handbrake too weak	3.2	2.9
Airbag (SRS) warning light on	3.0	1.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=84,193). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	20.3	16.6
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	15.0	8.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	13.1	10.8
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.6	13.2
Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated	9.4	3.9
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	9.3	9.9
Coil spring: corroded	9.1	7.9
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.1	5.0
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	7.8	14.1
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	7.4	5.3

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=84,193). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 19 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Golf MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,193). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	55.5%	43.6%	46,739	43.0%	110,492 miles
Diesel	44.5%	46.9%	37,446	43.8%	148,058 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 19 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Golf MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,193). At 19 years, Volkswagen Golf cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (49.1%, n=24,560) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (30.5%, n=3,874). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles	30.5%	3,874	33.3%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	40.7%	11,690	41.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	45.7%	20,456	46.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	46.7%	21,642	47.5%
Over 150,000 miles	49.1%	24,560	46.9%

Car tax rules for a 2006 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2006 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volkswagen Golf

2005 Volkswagen Golf 2007 Volkswagen Golf

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2006

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Polo (2006)	19 years in 2025	51.1%	17,528	43.2%
Volkswagen Passat (2006)	19 years in 2025	42.4%	3,928	43.2%
Volkswagen Touran (2006)	19 years in 2025	46.7%	3,065	43.2%
Volkswagen Beetle (2006)	19 years in 2025	50.7%	2,525	43.2%
Volkswagen Fox (2006)	19 years in 2025	47.9%	2,186	43.2%
Volkswagen Touareg (2006)	19 years in 2025	36.5%	1,388	43.2%
Volkswagen Jetta (2006)	19 years in 2025	41.5%	1,059	43.2%
Volkswagen Eos (2006)	17 years in 2023	39.6%	1,230	43.1%

More on the Volkswagen Golf

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2006 Volkswagen Golf cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.