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S143 BFW

1998 Volkswagen Golf

White Petrol 1600cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Jan 2027
Tests27 (20 pass, 7 fail)
Pass rate74.1%

Mileage

135,535 mi
Last recorded135,535 miles
Recorded on21 Jan 2026
Typical for 1998 Volkswagen Golf100,017 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

RegistrationS143 BFW
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1998
ColourWhite
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,600cc

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 7 fail
Pass 21 Jan 2026 135,535 miles

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

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

Service brake binding but not excessively Both rear (1.2.1 (f))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Both rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 21 Jan 2026 135,535 miles

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

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

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

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

Service brake binding but not excessively Both rear (1.2.1 (f))

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Both rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 8 Dec 2025 135,530 miles

Nearside Brake pipe excessively corroded Front to rear (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Sill (7.1.1 (a) (i))

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

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

Nearside Front Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e))

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

Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Both rear (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 7 Dec 2024 134,238 miles

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

Pass 9 Dec 2023 119,816 miles

Offside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

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

Rear Coil spring corroded both rear springs corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Pass 5 Dec 2022 106,664 miles

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

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

Nearside Rear Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt ()

Nearside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

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

Offside Rear Service brake binding but not excessively (1.2.1 (f))

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

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view chipped (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 23 Nov 2021 96,365 miles

Front Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both (1.1.11 (c))

Fail 18 Nov 2021 96,365 miles

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

Offside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Exhaust mounting defective clamp on sleeve broke (6.1.2 (a))

Front Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material both (1.1.11 (c))

Pass 28 Nov 2020 92,841 miles

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

Pass 21 Nov 2019 91,239 miles

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Fail 21 Nov 2019 91,238 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Offside Front Coil spring corroded (5.3.1 (b) (i))

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

Pass 26 Nov 2018 88,399 miles
Pass 25 Nov 2017 85,600 miles
Pass 28 Nov 2016 82,020 miles
Fail 26 Nov 2016 82,017 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush bonding deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front rear brake excessively fluctuating (3.7.B.3)

Offside rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

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

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

Rear brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened ON INNER BRAKING SURFACE (3.5.1i)

Pass 28 Nov 2015 77,568 miles

O/S FRONT TYRE BECOMING BOLD ON INNER EDGE

Pass 17 Nov 2014 72,858 miles

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

Fail 15 Nov 2014 72,858 miles

Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Front Lower Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 3 Dec 2013 69,407 miles
Fail 3 Dec 2013 69,407 miles

Fuel system component leaking (7.2.3)

Pass 4 Dec 2012 66,713 miles
Pass 28 Nov 2011 62,415 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2010 59,946 miles
Pass 1 Dec 2009 56,958 miles
Pass 26 Nov 2008 53,190 miles
Pass 19 Nov 2007 49,130 miles
Pass 7 Dec 2006 43,203 miles

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

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

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

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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S143 BFW is a 1998 Volkswagen Golf in White with a 1,600cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 27 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 74.1%.

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 S143 BFW, 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 S143 BFW?

You can check the full history of S143 BFW by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S143 BFW registered?

S143 BFW is a 1998 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 11 September 1998.

Is S143 BFW safe to buy?

The MOT history for S143 BFW shows 27 tests with a 74.1% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S143 BFW 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 S143 BFW. 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.