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ARL 354

1990 Volkswagen Golf

Black Petrol 1595cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires19 Oct 2026
Tests30 (20 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

119,699 mi
Last recorded119,699 miles
Recorded on20 Oct 2025
Typical for 1990 Volkswagen Golf121,310 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationARL 354
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1990
ColourBlack
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,595cc

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

20 pass 10 fail
Pass 20 Oct 2025 119,699 miles

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear lower arch corroded

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 20 Oct 2025 119,695 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Front Brake disc worn, but not excessively (1.1.14 (a) (i))

Nearside Rear lower arch corroded

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 10 Apr 2024 119,153 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 10 Apr 2024 119,148 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn front bush (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases x2 (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Apr 2023 118,165 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 6 Apr 2023 118,165 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Nearside Rear Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Offside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 6 Apr 2022 117,427 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Exhaust mounting defective backbox mounting (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 8 Apr 2021 116,505 miles

exhaust backbox hanger defective

Pass 14 Apr 2020 115,888 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases front and rear, exhaust system slightly deteriorated. (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 2 Apr 2019 114,739 miles
Fail 2 Apr 2019 114,739 miles

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

Offside Rear Service brake has no recorded effort at a wheel (1.2.1 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 22 Mar 2018 113,538 miles

o/s/r tyre perished

Pass 23 Mar 2017 112,238 miles

Offside Rear tyre slightly perished

Pass 4 Mar 2016 110,464 miles

Centre exhaust slightly deteriorated

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sill (2.4.A.3)

Fail 4 Mar 2016 110,464 miles

Centre exhaust slightly deteriorated

Front Sub-frame corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.G.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive outer sill (2.4.A.3)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Pass 6 Mar 2015 108,777 miles

n/s/r tyre slightly perished

Fail 6 Mar 2015 108,777 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim beam image obviously incorrect (1.8.A.1b)

Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

n/s/r tyre slightly perished

Pass 7 Mar 2014 106,952 miles

Nearside front and offside rear tyres perished on sidewall

Pass 27 Feb 2013 105,217 miles

Nail in nearside front tyre

Nearside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Offside Rear Suspension arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 Mar 2012 103,650 miles

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

O/S/F tyre is cracking up on the sidewall

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Fail 1 Mar 2012 103,648 miles

Offside Inner Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)

Centre pipe rubber missing

Nearside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

O/S/F tyre is cracking up on the sidewall

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Rear Trailing arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Pass 2 Mar 2011 101,536 miles
Fail 2 Mar 2011 101,531 miles

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Rear fog lamp tell tale not working (1.3.1b)

Pass 1 Mar 2010 99,621 miles
Fail 26 Feb 2010 99,618 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Rear Exhaust mounting missing (7.1.1b)

Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d)

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 23 Jan 2009 97,496 miles
Pass 31 Jan 2008 95,863 miles

brake servo pipe on manifold weak

foot brake travel

offside wiper starting to split on end

rear fog lamp switch slightly tempremental

rear number plate starting to sepperate

Pass 17 Mar 2007 93,819 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2006 91,613 miles
Fail 17 Mar 2006 91,613 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

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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ARL 354 is a 1990 Volkswagen Golf in Black with a 1,595cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 30 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1990 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 65.2% with a typical mileage of 121,310 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 ARL 354, 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 36 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 ARL 354?

You can check the full history of ARL 354 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was ARL 354 registered?

ARL 354 is a 1990 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 27 April 1990.

Is ARL 354 safe to buy?

The MOT history for ARL 354 shows 30 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does ARL 354 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 ARL 354. 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.