Volkswagen Polo MOT failure rate and common faults
598,636 Volkswagen Polo cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 31.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.9% of the time, which makes the Volkswagen Polo 10% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
31.7%
failed first time
598,636 MOT tests in 2025
+10%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.9%
161 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
92.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 106.5
What fails on a Volkswagen Polo MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Volkswagen Polo MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 39.1 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 29.6 |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Steering | 29.4 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 25.3 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 25.1 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 22.2 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 21.7 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 21.1 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 20.1 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 19.7 |
Volkswagen Polo MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 22,744 | 8.3% | 11.4% | 21,700 |
| 2021 | 29,926 | 12.0% | 12.8% | 29,000 |
| 2020 | 26,271 | 13.6% | 14.1% | 33,700 |
| 2019 | 36,623 | 21.3% | 16.5% | 41,000 |
| 2018 | 43,727 | 25.1% | 19.1% | 47,800 |
| 2017 | 45,845 | 23.6% | 21.8% | 52,800 |
| 2016 | 51,732 | 25.6% | 25.1% | 60,000 |
| 2015 | 51,276 | 28.2% | 28.1% | 66,400 |
| 2014 | 44,221 | 33.3% | 31.4% | 72,400 |
| 2013 | 38,297 | 37.5% | 34.3% | 77,300 |
| 2012 | 37,006 | 39.3% | 36.6% | 82,200 |
| 2011 | 38,506 | 42.4% | 38.8% | 87,600 |
| 2010 | 35,996 | 43.8% | 40.7% | 91,000 |
| 2009 | 21,990 | 46.8% | 41.8% | 89,500 |
| 2008 | 23,120 | 48.7% | 42.9% | 94,700 |
| 2007 | 20,924 | 48.5% | 42.7% | 96,900 |
| 2006 | 17,353 | 51.6% | 43.0% | 98,900 |
| 2005 | 13,079 | 52.8% | 42.4% | 98,300 |
Advisories to look for in a Volkswagen Polo's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Volkswagen Polo, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge266.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing172.4
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened120.0
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement116.0
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil75.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin56.7
Checking a used Volkswagen Polo before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Volkswagen Polo fails more often than average on brakes, engine, emissions and leaks and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Volkswagen Polo cars tested: Petrol 93%, Diesel 7%. Average age at test 10.7 years, average recorded mileage 66,500.
Volkswagen Polo MOT questions
What is the Volkswagen Polo MOT failure rate?
31.7% of Volkswagen Polo cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 598,636 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.9% of the time, so the Volkswagen Polo was 10% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Volkswagen Polo MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 182 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded 39.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Volkswagen Polo year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 8.3% failed against an average of 11.4% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Volkswagen Polo will pass?
No. These are averages across every Volkswagen Polo tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Volkswagen models
- Volkswagen Golf23.9% failed
- Volkswagen Transporter29.2% failed
- Volkswagen Tiguan18.6% failed
- Volkswagen Passat28.0% failed
- Volkswagen Caddy31.5% failed
- Volkswagen Up20.5% failed
Ranked close to the Volkswagen Polo
- Hyundai ix35rank 158
- Volvo V50rank 159
- Renault Capturrank 160
- Alfa Romeo Giuliettarank 162
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Volkswagen Polo cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.