1971 Volkswagen Golf — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age

55 years

Current Age

62.5%

Latest Pass Rate

781

Total Tests (All Years)

136,954 mi

Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1971 Volkswagen Golf as it ages.

38 yrs46.8%

→ ↓2.4%

39 yrs44.4%

→ ↑4.8%

40 yrs49.2%

→ ↓5.5%

41 yrs43.7%

→ ↑2.0%

42 yrs45.7%

→ ↑0.1%

43 yrs45.8%

→ ↑7.5%

44 yrs53.3%

→ ↓4.9%

45 yrs48.4%

→ ↑14.1%

46 yrs62.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
38 yrs	46.8%	186
39 yrs	44.4%	153
40 yrs	49.2%	118
41 yrs	43.7%	87
42 yrs	45.7%	70
43 yrs	45.8%	59
44 yrs	53.3%	45
45 yrs	48.4%	31
46 yrs	62.5%	32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1971 Volkswagen Golf pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (46 yrs)	62.5%	32
2016 (45 yrs)	48.4%	31
2015 (44 yrs)	53.3%	45
2014 (43 yrs)	45.8%	59
2013 (42 yrs)	45.7%	70
2012 (41 yrs)	43.7%	87
2011 (40 yrs)	49.2%	118
2010 (39 yrs)	44.4%	153
2009 (38 yrs)	46.8%	186

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

46.8%

Age (yrs) 38Tests 186Avg Mileage 123,638Top Failure Suspension — 31.2%

2010High Fail Rate

44.4%

Age (yrs) 39Tests 153Avg Mileage 127,750Top Failure Suspension — 32.0%

2011High Fail Rate

49.2%

Age (yrs) 40Tests 118Avg Mileage 135,554Top Failure Suspension — 31.4%

2012High Fail Rate

43.7%

Age (yrs) 41Tests 87Avg Mileage 137,250Top Failure Brakes — 37.9%

2013High Fail Rate

45.7%

Age (yrs) 42Tests 70Avg Mileage 125,730Top Failure Brakes — 88.6%

2014High Fail Rate

45.8%

Age (yrs) 43Tests 59Avg Mileage 134,700Top Failure Brakes — 125.4%

2015High Fail Rate

53.3%

Age (yrs) 44Tests 45Avg Mileage 132,509Top Failure Brakes — 100.0%

2016High Fail Rate

48.4%

Age (yrs) 45Tests 31Avg Mileage 132,838Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 67.7%

2017High Fail Rate

62.5%

Age (yrs) 46Tests 32Avg Mileage 136,954Top Failure Brakes — 65.6%

MOT results for 1971 Volkswagen Golf by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	38	46.8%	186	123,638	Suspension — 31.2%
2010	39	44.4%	153	127,750	Suspension — 32.0%
2011	40	49.2%	118	135,554	Suspension — 31.4%
2012	41	43.7%	87	137,250	Brakes — 37.9%
2013	42	45.7%	70	125,730	Brakes — 88.6%
2014	43	45.8%	59	134,700	Brakes — 125.4%
2015	44	53.3%	45	132,509	Brakes — 100.0%
2016	45	48.4%	31	132,838	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 67.7%
2017	46	62.5%	32	136,954	Brakes — 65.6%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1971 Volkswagen Golf, with age trends.

Brakes

61.4%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

50.9%

↓ Decreases with age

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

50.3%

↑ Increases with age

Driver's View of the Road

27.7%

— Consistent

Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems

26.1%

— Consistent

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Brakes	25.3% (38 yrs)	65.6% (46 yrs)	+40.3%	🔴 ↑
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	25.8% (38 yrs)	62.5% (46 yrs)	+36.7%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	31.2% (38 yrs)	28.1% (46 yrs)	-3.1%	🟢 ↓

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Volkswagen Golf page →

About This Data

This page shows how Volkswagen Golf cars manufactured in 1971 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 781 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.