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THA 524W

1981 Volkswagen Golf

Red Diesel 1600cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires2 Jul 2026
Tests19 (13 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate68.4%

Mileage

169,474 mi
Last recorded169,474 miles
Recorded on3 Jul 2025
Typical for 1981 Volkswagen Golf91,468 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationTHA 524W
MakeVolkswagen
ModelGolf
Year1981
ColourRed
Fuel typeDiesel
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

13 pass 6 fail
Pass 3 Jul 2025 169,474 miles

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

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.3 (f) (i))

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

Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Both sides. (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Power steering component modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.5 (f) (i))

Fail 3 Jul 2025 169,474 miles

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

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.3 (f) (i))

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

Outer Track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt Both sides. (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Power steering component modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.5 (f) (i))

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

Pass 27 Jun 2022 168,041 miles

Front Power steering component modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.5 (f) (i))

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

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.1.3 (f) (i))

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 25 Mar 2019 167,929 miles

STEERING RACK MODIFIED BUT NOT INAPPROPAIATELY

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

Fail 19 Mar 2019 167,912 miles

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

STEERING RACK MODIFIED BUT NOT INAPPROPAIATELY

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

Pass 26 Mar 2018 167,000 miles

Steering rack modified, but not inappropriately (2.2.C.1e)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 15 Mar 2017 166,373 miles

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.2.C.1e)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Fail 15 Mar 2017 166,373 miles

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

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

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.2.C.1e)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Pass 29 Mar 2016 165,346 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Steering arm modified, but not inappropriately (2.2.C.1e)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Fail 12 Jun 2015 165,333 miles

Offside Front Front position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Nearside Front Track rod end loose (2.2.B.1d) DANGEROUS

Centre Upper Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

nsf steering boot incorrect but still preventing dirt ingress

osf outer seal damaged

Pass 19 Jun 2014 163,859 miles

Steering system slightly rough (2.2.D.1)

Steering system slightly tight (2.2.D.1)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 7 May 2013 161,830 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

Pass 4 May 2012 160,256 miles
Pass 6 May 2011 157,615 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both rear wheel bearings have slight play

Pass 28 Apr 2010 155,880 miles

Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Pass 8 May 2009 153,512 miles

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both sets of rear sub frame bushes perished

has welding repairs to chassis and sills

offside front track rod arm ball joint dust cover split

slight play in both rear wheel bearings

Fail 5 May 2009 153,440 miles

Exhaust emits an excessive level of metered smoke for a non-turbo charged engine (7.4.B.3b)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone 'A' (8.3.1d)

both sets of rear sub frame bushes perished

has welding repairs to chassis and sills

offside front track rod arm ball joint dust cover split

slight play in both rear wheel bearings

Pass 9 May 2008 150,604 miles
Fail 9 May 2008 150,599 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

Offside Front Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade insecure (8.2.2)

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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THA 524W is a 1981 Volkswagen Golf in Red with a 1,600cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 19 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 68.4%.

Across all 1981 Volkswagen Golf models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.0% with a typical mileage of 91,468 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 THA 524W, 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 45 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 THA 524W?

You can check the full history of THA 524W by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was THA 524W registered?

THA 524W is a 1981 Volkswagen Golf, first registered on 21 May 1981.

Is THA 524W safe to buy?

The MOT history for THA 524W shows 19 tests with a 68.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does THA 524W 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 THA 524W. 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.