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MOT History from tests of diesel VOLKSWAGEN GOLFs year 1998

Review the list of common VOLKSWAGEN GOLF failures below or to perform a specific mot history check on your VOLKSWAGEN then use our popular KnowYourCar service

mot history
Pass percent:49.41%
(The average a diesel VOLKSWAGEN GOLF year 1998 passes without issue)
Based on:87,664 MOT Tests
Most common failuresNo# failures
Headlamp aim out of alignment8543
Registration plate lamp issues8332
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively5562
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements |3.7.B.7|5029
Rear parking brake recording little or no effort3081
Anti-lock braking system warning lamp indicates an ABS fault2950
Brake pipe excessively corroded2679
Rear brake binding2325
Nearside Front position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|2194
Offside Front position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|2165
Registration plate issues2110
Nearside Stop lamp not working |1.2.1b|2021
Offside Stop lamp not working |1.2.1b|1896
Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a turbo charged engine |7.4.B.3b|1821
Brake hose excessively deteriorated1604
Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|1501
Brakes imbalanced across an axle1490
Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|1457
Offside Rear coil spring incomplete |2.4.C.1a|1251
Nearside Rear coil spring incomplete |2.4.C.1a|1163
Front Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases |7.1.2|1051
Offside Front Macpherson strut has excessive movement at the upper attachment |2.5.A.1c|898
Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened891
Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases |7.1.2|874
Nearside Headlamp not working on dipped beam |1.7.5a|864
Nearside Front Macpherson strut has excessive movement at the upper attachment |2.5.A.1c|830
Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play |2.2.B.1f|800
Windscreen has damage789
Offside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play |2.2.B.1f|788
Nearside Rear Stop lamp not working |1.2.1b|774
Supplementary Restraint System warning lamp indicates a fault |5.4.2|739
Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam |1.7.5a|738
Offside Rear Stop lamp not working |1.2.1b|728
Nearside Front Front position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|712
Offside Rear fog lamp not working |1.3.2b|708
Nearside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play |2.2.B.1f|707
Front brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened697
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|690
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|663
Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play |2.2.B.1f|649
Parking brake lever has no reserve travel |3.1.6b|642
Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported |7.1.1|616
Nearside Rear position lamp|s| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance |1.1.A.3d|608
Nearside Rear coil spring fractured |2.4.C.1a|591
Nearside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour |1.4.A.2f|587
Offside Front Front position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|586
Nearside Rear position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|577
Offside Rear coil spring fractured |2.4.C.1a|573
Offside Rear position lamp|s| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance |1.1.A.3d|567
Offside Rear position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|562
Horn not working |1.6.2a|562
Offside Front Direction indicator incorrect colour |1.4.A.2f|507
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint |2.4.G.2|504
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|493
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint |2.4.G.2|464
Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak |2.7.3|453
Emissions not tested |7.0|446
Service brake: efficiency below requirements |3.7.B.7|445
Nearside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|432
Offside Front Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|411
Nearside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak |2.7.3|410
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|398
Battery insecure |1.9.1|384
Rear Mechanical brake component has restricted free movement380
Nearside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint |2.5.B.1a|366
Rear Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases |7.1.2|365
Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect |1.8.A.1b|362
Offside Rear coil spring broken |2.4.C.1a|360
Offside Front suspension has excessive play in a lower suspension ball joint |2.5.B.1a|359
Nearside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam |1.7.5a|355
Nearside Rear coil spring broken |2.4.C.1a|353
Rear brake application uneven350
Exhaust system not adequately supported |7.1.1|345
Offside Rear Braking system leaking |3.6.A.1|342
Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported |7.1.1|333
Nearside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image |1.2.4a|333
Offside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect |1.8.A.1b|330
Offside Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image |1.2.4a|327
Offside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak |2.7.3|324
Nearside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated |2.6.1|319
Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam |1.7.5a|315
Centre Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases |7.1.2|315
Brake hose damaged314
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint |2.4.G.2|309
Offside Obligatory mirror seriously damaged, affecting the rear view |8.1.2a|308
Nearside Rear brake disc excessively pitted |3.5.1h|307
Offside Rear brake disc excessively pitted |3.5.1h|307
Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play |2.6.2|303
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a ball joint |2.4.G.2|302
Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play |2.6.2|293
Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak |2.7.3|280
Offside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle |6.2.B.1c|273
Front brake application uneven273
Nearside Rear Braking system leaking |3.6.A.1|273
Offside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated |2.6.1|269
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|266
Windscreen has a sticker or other obstruction encroaching into the swept area by more than 40mm outside zone `A` |8.3.1e|265
Offside Headlamp not working on main beam |1.7.5a|257
Nearside Rear passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle |6.2.B.1c|252
Nearside Front constant velocity joint gaiter split |2.5.C.1a|248
Nearside Headlamp not working on main beam |1.7.5a|236
Windscreen wiper blade insecure235
Offside Front Anti-roll bar has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|233
Rear fog lamp not working |1.3.2b|232
Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure |3.6.B.3|229
Offside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|223
Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|217
Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|216
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|216
Offside Front constant velocity joint gaiter split |2.5.C.1a|212
Offside Rear brake caliper leaking |3.6.A.1|208
Offside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion |6.1.C.1|208
Offside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|207
Nearside Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users |1.8.A.1a|201
Offside rear brake recording little or no effort |3.7.B.5a|199
Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement |7.2.4b|199
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|198
Front Exhaust system not adequately supported |7.1.1|195
Nearside Front Body has a sharp edge caused by corrosion |6.1.C.1|195
Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working |1.3.2b|194
Brake pedal spongy |3.3.B.1b|189
Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|183
Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort |3.7.B.5a|183
Stop lamp not working |1.2.1b|181
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|181
Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|179
Offside Headlamp aim aimed so that it dazzles other road users |1.8.A.1a|177
Offside Front brake disc excessively pitted |3.5.1h|176
Front Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated |7.1.1a|175
Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|174
Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|173
Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|172
Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour of any colour |7.4.B.4|169
Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play |2.6.2|169
Offside Front coil spring fractured |2.4.C.1a|167
Fuel system component leaking |7.2.3|166
Nearside Rear brake caliper leaking |3.6.A.1|164
Nearside Rear Rear position lamp|s| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance |1.1.A.3d|162
Nearside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|162
Exhaust has part of the system excessively deteriorated |7.1.1a|158
Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded |5.2.6|157
Offside Rear Rear position lamp|s| excessively deteriorated so that it is not visible from a reasonable distance |1.1.A.3d|155
Nearside Front brake disc excessively pitted |3.5.1h|155
Nearside Rear Rear position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|153
Offside Steering rack gaiter split |2.2.D.2d|151
Nearside Steering rack gaiter split |2.2.D.2d|151
Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded |2.4.A.3|150
Offside Front Lower Suspension arm has excessive play in a pin/bush |2.4.G.2|148
Nearside Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush |2.5.A.1c|148
Nearside Front position lamp|s| not in good working order |function impaired| |1.1.4a|148
Nearside Headlamp insecure |1.7.3|148
Offside Front suspension has excessive movement at a wishbone pin or bush |2.5.A.1c|147
Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated |2.6.1|147
Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure |3.6.B.3|146
Offside Rear Sub-frame rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|145
Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement |2.4.G.2|145
Nearside Front Headlamp not in good working order adversely affecting beam image |1.2.4a|142
Nearside Front Front constant velocity joint gaiter split |2.5.C.1a|142
Brake pedal creeps down when held under pressure |3.3.B.1a|140
Hazard warning switch faulty |1.4.B.1d|140
Front position lamp|s| not working |1.1.A.3b|138
Offside Front Macpherson strut has excessive movement in the upper support bearing assembly |2.5.B.1b|138
Offside Front position lamp|s| not in good working order |function impaired| |1.1.4a|137
Nearside Side repeater incorrect colour |1.4.A.2f|136
Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded |2.4.A.3|136
Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine |7.4.B.3b|134

We get to these numbers by trawling through over 1 billion MOT test results since 2004 and crunched the numbers. We remove anything to do with Tyres, as they are model independent and group together common non-model specific issues. We are trying to get to a picture of what models have what issues.

Please note: We take the data from the DVSA. This data is raw and can contain typos and spelling mistakes that garages may have entered while recording a MOT result. Specifically miss-match on names of models and makes. We are constantly cleaning the data so bear with the odd issue.

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