Volkswagen E-Golf
Registered from 2018 to 2020.
About this model
The Volkswagen Golf is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – including as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada, and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico (Mk1). The Golf is Volkswagen's bestseller and the third best-selling automobile of all time, with over 37 million units sold worldwide.
From the Wikipedia article Volkswagen Golf, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2019 electric. 404 of 4,023 tests failed, 10%.
Better than 37% of 2019 cars. The typical one fails 9%, across 908 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Tyres and wheels | 78% | 316 |
| Suspension | 11% | 45 |
| Visibility | 10% | 39 |
| Lights and electrics | 7% | 29 |
| Plates and identity | 2% | 9 |
| Brakes | 2% | 8 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
Where it stands out against its peers
- Tyres and wheels: failed more often than 92% of 2019 cars — 78% of its 404 failed tests, where an ordinary 2019 car has 49%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
NHTSA's investigations are American; no European regulator publishes an equivalent record, so this section has nothing to draw on for a European car. There is no European equivalent of the service-bulletin register either.
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Tyres and wheels — 78% of its failures
- A tyre seriously damaged
- A tyre cords visible or damaged
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Suspension — 11% of its failures
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- Lights and electrics — 7% of its failures
- Visibility — 10% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
When it starts failing
At 60–80k miles this one fails 10% of its inspections, against the 14% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 7% | 5% | 1,105 | |
| 20–40k miles | 11% | 9% | 2,156 | |
| 40–60k miles | 12% | 12% | 631 | |
| 60–80k miles | 10% | 14% | 115 |
4,007 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 20k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2020 | electric · 134 hp · 1615 kg · 2629 mm wheelbase · 155 Wh/km |
| 2019 | electric · 134 hp · 1615 kg · 2629 mm wheelbase · 107 Wh/km |
| 2018 | electric · 1615 kg · 2629 mm wheelbase · 140 Wh/km |