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Volkswagen Golf road wheels problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 269,751 MOT tests · Updated

At 8 years, 0.3 in 100 MOT tests of the Volkswagen Golf failed on road wheels, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 269,751 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years), 837 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 23 ages from 3 to 25 years, 3,588,854 MOT tests
  • Most common fail: Road wheel attachment: fixing missing, 0.2 per 100 MOT tests

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.3 fails per 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 8 (all test years). That is about average.

Why it matters

A road wheels fail stops the car passing until it is fixed; the most common one is rated major by DVSA.

What to check

Look for cracked or badly kerbed rims and check that every wheel nut is present; a vibration through the wheel at speed points to a bent rim or balance.

Volkswagen Golf road wheels fails by age

Volkswagen Golf road wheels fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Volkswagen Golf. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.00.20.40.63 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 151,306 MOT tests34 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 186,702 MOT tests5 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 227,054 MOT tests56 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 252,333 MOT tests7 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 267,144 MOT tests78 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 269,751 MOT tests9 years: 0.3 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 254,947 MOT tests910 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 241,713 MOT tests11 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 226,704 MOT tests1112 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 209,281 MOT tests13 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 199,841 MOT tests1314 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 190,658 MOT tests15 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 183,764 MOT tests1516 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 168,445 MOT tests17 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.6), 141,758 MOT tests1718 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 109,892 MOT tests19 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 84,193 MOT tests1920 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 68,838 MOT tests21 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 55,064 MOT tests2122 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.4), 44,598 MOT tests23 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 29,615 MOT tests2324 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 16,123 MOT tests25 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 9,130 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Volkswagen Golf All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
3151,3060.20.1
4186,7020.20.2
5227,0540.20.2
6252,3330.20.2
7267,1440.30.3
8269,7510.30.3
9254,9470.30.4
10241,7130.40.4
11226,7040.40.4
12209,2810.40.5
13199,8410.50.5
14190,6580.50.6
15183,7640.50.6
16168,4450.60.6
17141,7580.50.6
18109,8920.50.5
19*84,1930.50.5
20*68,8380.50.4
21*55,0640.50.4
22*44,5980.50.4
23*29,6150.40.3
24*16,1230.40.3
25*9,1300.40.3

All first-use years of the Volkswagen Golf pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the road wheels at 8 years

Fails

  • Road wheel attachment: fixing missing: 0.2 fails per 100 MOT tests, all class 4 vehicles 0.2. Replace missing wheel nut or bolt: estimated £10–£59 (0.1–0.5 h at £78/h (ONS local-garage repair quotes, 1,058 quotes from 65 garages, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026) + parts £2–£20) Road wheel fixing missing MOT fail

Advisories (not fails)

Replace missing wheel nut or bolt cost

Repair figures are estimates, not quotes: how we estimate repair costs.

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
  • What similar cars did at their next MOT
  • Repairs ahead
  • Viewing checklist

See a sample report

By engine and fuel

  • 1.6 diesel: 0.3 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 70,818 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 diesel: 0.4 per 100 at 8 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 69,193 MOT tests)
  • 1.4 petrol: 0.2 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 77,303 MOT tests)
  • 2.0 petrol: 0.5 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 34,684 MOT tests)
  • 1.9 diesel: 0.7 per 100 at 16 years, about average for diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 42,564 MOT tests)
  • 1.5 petrol: 0.3 per 100 at 8 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 3,219 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 petrol: 0.5 per 100 at 17 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 32,930 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

Look for cracked or badly kerbed rims and check that every wheel nut is present; a vibration through the wheel at speed points to a bent rim or balance.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Road wheel condition: slightly distorted.

Check one Volkswagen Golf, not the average

The figures here describe Volkswagen Golf cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Volkswagen Golf problems

Road wheels on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Volkswagen Golf have more road wheels problems than other cars?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age: about average by our test (all test years; 269,751 MOT tests).

How common are Volkswagen Golf road wheels problems?

0.3 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years failed on road wheels, against 0.3 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 269,751 MOT tests).

What is the most common Volkswagen Golf road wheels fail?

0.2 in 100 MOT tests at 8 years: Road wheel attachment: fixing missing (552 MOT tests with it).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 3,588,854 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
  2. Office for National Statistics, Consumer price inflation, local price quotes (car repair items). ONS price quotes, series 610236. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare