2021 Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A MOT pass rate: 93.4% (4,072 tests)
Is the 2021 Golf Life Etsi S-A getting worse?
Pass rate of 2021-registered cars across recent test years:
| Test year | Pass rate | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 93.2% +2.5 vs same-age |
|
| 2025 | 93.7% +3.5 vs same-age |
The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.
What fails on a 2021 Golf Life Etsi S-A
| # | System | Defects recorded | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 208 | 51.2% |
| 2 | Suspension | 68 | 16.7% |
| 3 | Visibility | 36 | 8.9% |
| 4 | Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 32 | 7.9% |
| 5 | Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 21 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Road Wheels | 15 | 3.7% |
All Golf Life Etsi S-A years compared
| Registration year | Tests | Pass rate | Vs same-age | Median mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5,514 | 94.0% | +4.1 pts | 26,088 |
| 2021 (this page) | 4,072 | 93.4% | +3.0 pts | 26,964 |
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FAQs
Is a 2021 Volkswagen Golf Life Etsi S-A reliable?
2021-registered examples passed 93.4% of their MOT tests (4,072 tests, 2023–2025), +3.0 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 5 years old with a median 26,964 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.
What mileage is too high for a 2021 Golf Life Etsi S-A?
The median tested example shows 26,964 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.