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J478 NAD

1992 Volkswagen Golf

Red Petrol 1781cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires15 Aug 2026
Tests20 (12 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

189,167 mi
Last recorded189,167 miles
Recorded on27 Aug 2026
Typical for 1992 Volkswagen Golf113,553 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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Vehicle Details

RegistrationJ478 NAD
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1992
ColourRed
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

12 pass 8 fail
Fail 27 Aug 2026 189,167 miles

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content excessive (8.2.1.2 (b))

Offside Front Driver's seat fore and aft adjustment mechanism not functioning as intended. (6.2.5 (b) (i))

Offside Side repeater not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Front passenger door catch deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

Offside Front Driver's door catch deteriorated but the door can still be readily opened and closed (6.2.3 (c) (i))

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

Pass 16 Aug 2025 184,224 miles

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Fail 8 Aug 2025 184,223 miles

Brake performance unable to be tested due to leek (1.2.1 (g))

Headlamp switch does not immediately illuminate all dipped beam headlamps both (4.1.3 (a))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

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

Pass 13 Feb 2019 183,929 miles
Fail 31 Jan 2019 183,923 miles

Exhaust carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle exceeds default limits (8.2.1.2 (b))

Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (1.1.12 (d))

Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

Offside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (1.1.12 (d))

Offside Front Macpherson strut pin or bush excessively worn top mount (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps (4.7.1 (b) (ii))

Front Brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened worn thin (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Rear Air brake cylinder/actuator damaged and braking performance affected (1.1.16 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 2 May 2017 183,911 miles

COOLANT NOTICED; around water pump.

FRONT HUBS; undefined noise.

Fail 18 Apr 2017 183,911 miles

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

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

COOLANT NOTICED; around water pump.

FRONT HUBS; undefined noise.

TYRE CONDITION; worn close to the legal limit > offside rear.

Pass 2 Jun 2014 181,863 miles
Pass 26 Apr 2013 176,831 miles

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 26 Apr 2013 176,831 miles

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Nearside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Rear Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 2 Apr 2012 172,830 miles

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nail in nearside rear tyre

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Fail 22 Mar 2012 172,830 miles

Nearside Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Subframe mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

Nail in nearside rear tyre

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Brake hose has slight corrosion to ferrules (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 22 Mar 2011 16,697 miles

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Fail 18 Mar 2011 166,328 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (3.5.1g)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Brake hose slightly deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar rubber mounting deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Rear Road wheel with a slightly distorted bead rim (4.2.A.1a)

Pass 6 Jan 2010 91,703 miles
Pass 10 Nov 2008 157,177 miles
Fail 10 Nov 2008 157,177 miles

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage rubber mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 11 Dec 2007 153,766 miles
Pass 30 Oct 2006 148,890 miles
Pass 24 Oct 2005 144,860 miles

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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J478 NAD is a 1992 Volkswagen Golf in Red with a 1,781cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 20 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

Across all 1992 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 63.9% with a typical mileage of 113,553 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 J478 NAD, 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 34 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 J478 NAD?

You can check the full history of J478 NAD by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J478 NAD registered?

J478 NAD is a 1992 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 31 January 1992.

Is J478 NAD safe to buy?

The MOT history for J478 NAD shows 20 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J478 NAD 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 J478 NAD. 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.