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E53 GBY

1987 Volkswagen Golf

Gold Petrol 1781cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires13 Oct 2025
Tests32 (19 pass, 13 fail)
Pass rate59.4%

Mileage

61,458 mi
Last recorded61,458 miles
Recorded on7 Oct 2024
Typical for 1987 Volkswagen Golf117,027 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationE53 GBY
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1987
ColourGold
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

19 pass 13 fail
Pass 7 Oct 2024 61,458 miles
Pass 10 Oct 2023 60,546 miles

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Fail 9 Oct 2023 60,546 miles

Nearside Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Nearside Headlamp aim too high (4.1.2 (a))

Power steering pipe/hose leaking (2.1.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

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

Pass 14 Oct 2022 58,550 miles

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

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

Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Pass 22 Nov 2021 58,514 miles

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

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

Fail 22 Nov 2021 58,514 miles

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

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

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 23 Nov 2020 58,440 miles

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

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

temperature gauge fluctuating

Fail 17 Nov 2020 58,440 miles

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

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

Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

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

temperature gauge fluctuating

Pass 11 Nov 2019 58,365 miles

Front Power steering pipe/hose has slight seepage (2.1.5 (a))

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

Pass 1 Nov 2018 58,252 miles

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

Pass 22 Nov 2017 58,110 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2017 58,110 miles

Fuel cap/sealing device does not fasten securely maintaining the sealing arrangement (7.2.4b)

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

Pass 28 Oct 2016 57,898 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Fail 20 Oct 2016 57,891 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords outer wall (4.1.D.1a)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Pass 20 Oct 2015 57,359 miles
Fail 19 Oct 2015 57,355 miles

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

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (3.7.B.5b)

rear brake application uneven (3.7.B.2)

Pass 21 Oct 2014 56,619 miles
Fail 21 Oct 2014 56,603 miles

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

Nearside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Pass 22 Oct 2013 55,960 miles
Fail 21 Oct 2013 55,953 miles

Nearside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Pass 9 Oct 2012 55,223 miles

Nearside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Outer Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

Pass 11 Oct 2011 54,426 miles

Offside Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated (2.5.C.1a)

Pass 14 Oct 2010 52,464 miles
Fail 13 Oct 2010 52,463 miles

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Steering rack gaiter split (2.2.D.2d)

Pass 29 Sep 2009 49,739 miles
Fail 28 Sep 2009 49,734 miles

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

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 16 Oct 2008 47,647 miles

Oil leak

Fail 13 Oct 2008 47,629 miles

Centre Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

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

Exhaust engine idle speed too high (7.3.A.2a)

Steering rack insecure (2.2.B.1a)

Coolant leak

Oil leak

Pass 9 Oct 2007 45,014 miles
Pass 18 Oct 2006 43,133 miles
Fail 13 Oct 2006 43,097 miles

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Fail 6 Oct 2006 43,055 miles

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

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

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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E53 GBY is a 1987 Volkswagen Golf in Gold with a 1,781cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 32 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 59.4%.

Across all 1987 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 64.6% with a typical mileage of 117,027 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

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 E53 GBY, 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 39 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 E53 GBY?

You can check the full history of E53 GBY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E53 GBY registered?

E53 GBY is a 1987 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 14 December 1987.

Is E53 GBY safe to buy?

The MOT history for E53 GBY shows 32 tests with a 59.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E53 GBY 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 E53 GBY. 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.