MOT comparison

Volkswagen Golf Mk5 vs Vauxhall Astra Mk5

How the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (2003–2008) and the Vauxhall Astra Mk5 (2004–2009) do at their MOTs, compared at the same mileage so a high-mileage car is never measured against a low-mileage one.

Volkswagen Golf Mk5

4,689,526

MOT tests compared · built 2003–2008

Passes more often in 15 of 17 mileage bands

Vauxhall Astra Mk5

5,791,100

MOT tests compared · built 2004–2009

Passes more often in 1 of 17 mileage bands

MOT pass rate by mileage

Share of MOTs passed first time, at the mileage recorded at the test.

Volkswagen Golf Mk5 Vauxhall Astra Mk5

Under 10,000 miles 89.3% vs 90.9%

19,083 and 38,150 MOTs

10,000–20,000 miles 90.1% vs 90.4%

107,296 and 191,012 MOTs

20,000–30,000 miles 87.0% vs 85.9%

241,748 and 386,942 MOTs

30,000–40,000 miles 83.8% vs 81.1%

330,671 and 508,170 MOTs

40,000–50,000 miles 80.0% vs 75.1%

366,296 and 553,702 MOTs

50,000–60,000 miles 76.1% vs 69.4%

380,755 and 564,400 MOTs

60,000–70,000 miles 72.4% vs 64.6%

386,592 and 559,919 MOTs

70,000–80,000 miles 68.8% vs 60.6%

386,399 and 543,684 MOTs

80,000–90,000 miles 65.4% vs 57.6%

377,517 and 507,838 MOTs

90,000–100,000 miles 62.5% vs 54.9%

361,891 and 454,554 MOTs

100,000–125,000 miles 58.7% vs 52.0%

764,188 and 818,694 MOTs

125,000–150,000 miles 55.5% vs 49.7%

514,216 and 409,031 MOTs

150,000–175,000 miles 53.8% vs 48.8%

274,680 and 164,229 MOTs

175,000–200,000 miles 52.6% vs 49.3%

117,032 and 58,323 MOTs

200,000–250,000 miles 52.6% vs 50.4%

53,880 and 27,059 MOTs

250,000–300,000 miles 53.1% vs 51.5%

6,133 and 4,355 MOTs

300,000–350,000 miles 55.4% vs 51.1%

1,149 and 1,038 MOTs

Parts that fail more often

Only differences that hold across at least half of the mileage bands we could compare, and that are far too large to be chance, are listed. How we decide

Volkswagen Golf Mk5 fails more often on

Side repeater

Fails about 17 times as often as the Vauxhall Astra Mk5: 1.7% of MOTs against 0.10%.

In 16 of 17 mileage bands
Front constant velocity joint gaiter

Fails about 11 times as often as the Vauxhall Astra Mk5: 2.0% of MOTs against 0.27%.

In 11 of 17 mileage bands · Suspension & Joints
Rear brakes

Fails about twice as often as the Vauxhall Astra Mk5: 1.5% of MOTs against 0.77%.

In 11 of 17 mileage bands · Braking System

Vauxhall Astra Mk5 fails more often on

Rear coil spring

Fails about 4 times as often as the Volkswagen Golf Mk5: 5.1% of MOTs against 1.2%.

In 15 of 17 mileage bands · Springs & Shocks
Windscreen washer

Fails about twice as often as the Volkswagen Golf Mk5: 3.6% of MOTs against 1.9%.

In 15 of 17 mileage bands · Driver's View

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Check a car's MOT Compare the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 with another model

These are differences in real MOT results, not engineering verdicts. Owner mix differs between models (some are more often taxis, first cars or rural cars), which is why every figure compares cars at the same mileage. How we compare cars.

MOT records: DVSA MOT history, which contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See this the other way round.