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R163 VSE

1998 Volkswagen Golf

Red Petrol 1984cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires29 Mar 2026
Tests26 (21 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate80.8%

Mileage

185,501 mi
Last recorded185,501 miles
Recorded on10 Mar 2025
Typical for 1998 Volkswagen Golf100,017 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationR163 VSE
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1998
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,984cc

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

21 pass 5 fail
Pass 10 Mar 2025 185,501 miles
Pass 21 Mar 2024 182,081 miles
Pass 17 Mar 2023 178,976 miles
Pass 7 Mar 2022 175,628 miles
Pass 16 Mar 2021 172,211 miles
Pass 19 Mar 2020 169,523 miles
Pass 29 Mar 2019 163,680 miles
Pass 28 Mar 2018 155,904 miles
Pass 15 Mar 2017 147,411 miles
Pass 23 Mar 2016 137,839 miles
Pass 18 Mar 2015 127,577 miles

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

Pass 7 Mar 2014 118,084 miles
Pass 8 Mar 2013 109,565 miles
Pass 12 Mar 2012 104,618 miles
Fail 8 Mar 2012 104,617 miles

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

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

Pass 30 Mar 2011 100,353 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

Oil leak

Fail 29 Mar 2011 100,353 miles

Nearside Front Brake hose bulging under pressure (3.6.B.3)

Nearside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar linkage has slight play in a pin/bush (2.4.G.2)

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

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

Oil leak

Pass 1 Jun 2010 96,794 miles
Fail 1 Jun 2010 96,794 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Exhaust engine idle speed too high (7.3.D.1)

Pass 5 Jun 2009 87,796 miles

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

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

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

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

underbody rusty & brake pipes have surface rust..

Pass 8 May 2008 77,920 miles
Fail 8 May 2008 77,920 miles

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

Nearside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

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

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

Offside Rear Tyre not fitted in accordance with side wall instructions (4.1.D.1f)

Pass 23 Oct 2007 75,124 miles
Pass 7 Nov 2006 65,565 miles
Pass 5 Jan 2006 62,283 miles
Fail 5 Jan 2006 62,283 miles

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

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

Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

n/s door mirror glass cracked advise replacement

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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R163 VSE is a 1998 Volkswagen Golf in Red with a 1,984cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 26 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 80.8%.

Across all 1998 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.1% with a typical mileage of 100,017 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 R163 VSE, 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 28 years old, this Volkswagen Golf is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R163 VSE?

You can check the full history of R163 VSE by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R163 VSE registered?

R163 VSE is a 1998 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 31 December 1998.

Is R163 VSE safe to buy?

The MOT history for R163 VSE shows 26 tests with a 80.8% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R163 VSE 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 R163 VSE. 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.