How reliable is the Volkswagen E-Golf compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen E-Golf, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 85.7% across 6,568 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen E-Golf?

The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 31.0% of failed Volkswagen E-Golf tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen E-Golf?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.7% of all Volkswagen E-Golf tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen E-Golf usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 41,045 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen E-Golf MOT pass rate & common failures

From 6,568 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen E-Golf, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 6,568 MOT tests, 85.7% of Volkswagen E-Golf tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen E-Golf fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre cords visible or damaged, which appears in 31.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 41,045 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

85.7%unadjusted, not comparable6,568 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the E-Golf. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 6,568 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

Electric car

How the E-Golf compares with other electric cars

At 3 to 5 years old the Volkswagen E-Golf passes 87.5% of MOT tests, from 2,601 tests in that age band. Petrol and diesel cars of the same age pass 89.9%, so this model sits 2.4 points below that baseline. Among electric cars it ranks 21 of 43.

There is no emissions test for an electric car and the MOT does not check the battery. Electric cars as a group fail slightly more often than same-age petrol cars, almost entirely on tyres and suspension, because they are heavier and deliver full torque instantly.

Every electric car ranked, and what fails · What the MOT tests on an electric car

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen E-Golf tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A tyre cords visible or damaged31.0%
253 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
2.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage26.9%
220 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged26.6%
217 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements20.9%
171 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged7.7%
63 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen3.9%
32 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
7.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen3.7%
30 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged3.2%
26 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened2.4%
20 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
10.Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen2.2%
18 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen E-Golf tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements23.7%
1,554 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage22.3%
1,465 testsShock absorber defective explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged19.7%
1,294 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured4.7%
310 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt3.9%
256 tests
6.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements3.2%
213 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged2.3%
154 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Nail in tyre2.2%
143 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Volkswagen E-Golf

The 25 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The E-Golf fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 41,045
Fuel mix of tested cars: Electric100.0%

Check a specific Volkswagen E-Golf

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Tiguan — 77.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volkswagen E-Golf compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen E-Golf, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 85.7% across 6,568 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen E-Golf?: The item recorded most often is "A tyre cords visible or damaged", which appears in 31.0% of failed Volkswagen E-Golf tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen E-Golf?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 23.7% of all Volkswagen E-Golf tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen E-Golf usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 41,045 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.