Volkswagen Golf pass rate by year
Year is the year the car was first registered. Years with fewer than 100 tests are left out.
| Year | Tests | Passed | Pass rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 197 | 59 | 29.9% | |
| 2001 | 302 | 78 | 25.8% | |
| 2002 | 524 | 133 | 25.4% | |
| 2003 | 873 | 196 | 22.5% | |
| 2004 | 1,000 | 234 | 23.4% | |
| 2005 | 1,683 | 433 | 25.7% | |
| 2006 | 2,763 | 685 | 24.8% | |
| 2007 | 4,345 | 1,271 | 29.3% | |
| 2008 | 7,363 | 2,151 | 29.2% | |
| 2009 | 3,607 | 1,112 | 30.8% | |
| 2010 | 6,635 | 2,271 | 34.2% | |
| 2011 | 7,877 | 3,233 | 41% | |
| 2012 | 8,041 | 3,718 | 46.2% | |
| 2013 | 8,706 | 4,982 | 57.2% | |
| 2014 | 9,475 | 5,780 | 61% | |
| 2015 | 8,674 | 5,535 | 63.8% | |
| 2016 | 3,162 | 2,121 | 67.1% | |
| 2017 | 6,584 | 4,645 | 70.5% | |
| 2018 | 1,473 | 1,068 | 72.5% | |
| 2019 | 3,808 | 2,908 | 76.4% | |
| 2020 | 563 | 462 | 82.1% | |
| 2021 | 2,381 | 1,978 | 83.1% |
What the Volkswagen Golf fails on
Share of Volkswagen Golf tests with at least one defect in each category, compared with all cars. One car can fail on several categories.
| Category | Golf | All cars |
|---|---|---|
| Steering and suspension | 18.2% | 18.5% |
| Wheels and tyres | 13.4% | 12.8% |
| Lighting and electrical | 13% | 17.6% |
| Side slip (wheel alignment) test | 12.7% | 15.2% |
| Brake performance test | 12% | 11.7% |
| Headlight aim test | 10.2% | 9.3% |
Most of these are cheap to check before the test: bulbs and headlight aim, tyre tread and pressures, wiper blades, and warning lights. See the pre-NCT checklist and what each category means.
Other Volkswagen models
| Model | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Passat | 45,527 | 42.9% |
| Volkswagen Polo | 38,485 | 46.8% |
| Volkswagen Tiguan | 14,830 | 67.3% |
| Volkswagen Jetta | 8,624 | 36.4% |
| Volkswagen Touran | 4,429 | 46.2% |
| Volkswagen UP | 4,032 | 63.5% |
| Volkswagen CC | 3,740 | 39.5% |
| Volkswagen T-Roc | 3,474 | 87.9% |
| Volkswagen Beetle | 2,695 | 44.7% |
| Volkswagen Caddy | 2,334 | 46.7% |
| Volkswagen Scirocco | 2,154 | 43.2% |
All Volkswagen models · all makes
Cars with a similar pass rate
Models from other makes that scored closest to the Volkswagen Golf (50%) in 2025:
Top of the table: Toyota C-HR (80%). Bottom: Peugeot 207 (32.5%). See the best and worst cars and pass rate by car age.
Book the NCT for your Golf
The fee is €60 at every centre and the make of car does not change where you can test. The busiest centres, and every county:
Other makes
NCT cost
€60 full test, €40 retest, free visual retest.
How to book
ncts.ie, phone and the priority list.
Retest rules
Book within 21 days, finish within 30.
How often
At 4 years, every 2 years, then yearly from 10.
What to bring
Documents and quick checks before the test.
NCT waiting times
Days to the next free test, by centre.
Volkswagen Golf NCT questions
What is the NCT pass rate for the Volkswagen Golf?
In 2025, 50% of Volkswagen Golf cars passed the NCT at the first attempt (45,222 of 90,509 initial tests), 0.7 points better than the average for all cars of 49.3%.
Which year of Volkswagen Golf does best at the NCT?
Among years with at least 300 tests, 2021 cars did best (83.1%) and 2003 cars did worst (22.5%). Newer cars almost always pass more often, so compare against cars of the same age.
What does the Volkswagen Golf fail the NCT on most?
The fail categories recorded most often for the Volkswagen Golf were steering and suspension (18.2% of tests), wheels and tyres (13.4% of tests), lighting and electrical (13% of tests). One car can fail on several items.
Do these figures include retests?
No. The RSA make and model data covers initial tests only; retests are not included.
Source: RSA 2025 Make and Model Data, initial NCT tests only. The RSA notes the figures do not account for mileage, maintenance or service history, and small groups are excluded for data protection. Reviewed 2 October 2026.