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A16 SJO

1988 Volkswagen Golf

White Petrol 1781cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires31 Mar 2027
Tests25 (17 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate68%

Mileage

139,988 mi
Last recorded139,988 miles
Recorded on26 Mar 2026
Typical for 1988 Volkswagen Golf118,644 mi

Above average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Volkswagen
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationA16 SJO
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1988
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,781cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

17 pass 8 fail
Pass 26 Mar 2026 139,988 miles
Pass 1 Apr 2025 138,962 miles
Fail 31 Mar 2025 138,962 miles

Offside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Pass 12 Apr 2024 138,104 miles
Fail 11 Apr 2024 138,104 miles

Offside Rear Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 13 Apr 2023 137,544 miles

Main beam tell-tale dim

Offside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Fail 6 Apr 2023 137,409 miles

Offside Front Coil spring fractured or broken (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Exhaust corroded with slight blow

Main beam tell-tale dim

Offside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 11 Apr 2022 136,727 miles

Nearside Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Offside Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Pass 8 Apr 2021 118,919 miles

Nearside Front Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Pass 4 May 2020 118,919 miles

N/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 1999, tyre is deteriorated with large cracks currently not exposing cord

O/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 2002

Pass 28 Mar 2019 118,357 miles

N/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 1999, tyre is starting to deteriorated with large cracks forming currently not exposing cord

O/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 2002

Fail 27 Mar 2019 118,357 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

N/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 1999, tyre is starting to deteriorated with large cracks forming currently not exposing cord

O/s/r tyre is very old date stamp of 2002

Pass 9 Apr 2018 117,147 miles

Rear service brake weak

Fail 9 Apr 2018 117,147 miles

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Rear service brake weak

Pass 30 Mar 2017 117,037 miles

N/s cv boot deteriorated

N/s/f tyre worn on inner edge

Slight play in both rear wheel bearings

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Pass 8 Apr 2016 116,889 miles

Front brake pads low and discs worn

N/s cv boot deteriorated

N/s/f tyre worn on inner edge

Slight play in both rear wheel bearings

Fail 7 Apr 2016 116,865 miles

Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d)

Front brake pads low and discs worn

N/s cv boot deteriorated

N/s/f tyre worn on inner edge

Slight play in both rear wheel bearings

Pass 1 Apr 2015 116,429 miles

both rear wheel bearings slight play

n/s/f outer c.v boot perished

n/s/f tyre worn on inner edge

n/s/r brake drum damp

o/s/f tyre perished

Fail 1 Apr 2015 116,429 miles

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

both rear wheel bearings slight play

n/s/f outer c.v boot perished

n/s/f tyre worn on inner edge

n/s/r brake drum damp

o/s/f tyre perished

Pass 6 Mar 2014 116,326 miles
Pass 13 Aug 2009 114,116 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 17 Apr 2008 114,113 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

nearside front tyre starting to wear on the inner edge

Pass 28 Jun 2006 113,400 miles

Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Nearside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

Offside Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Pass 24 Jun 2005 112,362 miles
Fail 24 Jun 2005 112,362 miles

registration plate character(s) incorrectly spaced (6.3.4a)

How Reliable is the Volkswagen Golf?

Based on 22,270,993 MOT tests across 1,787,037 vehicles.

74.9%
Pass Rate
6,735
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
1,787,037
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 700,382
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 301,629
Stop lamp not working 260,234
position lamp(s) not working 257,206
Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick 229,092
Full Volkswagen Golf reliability report

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A16 SJO is a 1988 Volkswagen Golf in White with a 1,781cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68%.

Across all 1988 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 63.7% with a typical mileage of 118,644 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Volkswagen Golf fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 700,382 recorded failures. If you're considering buying A16 SJO, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Volkswagen Golf typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 38 years old, this Volkswagen Golf is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of A16 SJO?

You can check the full history of A16 SJO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was A16 SJO registered?

A16 SJO is a 1988 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 8 August 1988.

Is A16 SJO safe to buy?

The MOT history for A16 SJO shows 25 tests with a 68% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does A16 SJO have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on A16 SJO. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.