Volkswagen Bora MOT pass rate: 68.7% (4,354 tests, 2025)

The Volkswagen Bora passed 68.7% of its 4,354 MOT tests in 2025 — 8.8 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 22 years old with 135,588 miles on the clock.

68.7%Pass rate (2025)

4,354MOT tests analysed

135,588 miMedian mileage at test

22 yrsMedian age at test

How the Bora compares

Volkswagen Bora

68.7%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volkswagen average (all models)

77.6%

What fails most on the Volkswagen Bora

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Bora:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,163	23.3%
2	Brakes	979	19.6%
3	Suspension	962	19.3%
4	Body, chassis, structure	689	13.8%
5	Steering	403	8.1%
6	Noise, emissions and leaks	360	7.2%

Pre-MOT checklist for Bora owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Look underneath for corrosion around sills and subframes, especially on older cars
With the engine running, turn lock to lock: knocks or stiff spots are testable defects

Check the engine before the tester does

A stored fault code with the engine light on is an automatic Major defect. Scan and clear resolved faults before booking.

Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

Bora pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2002	2,456	67.6%	+2.0 pts	139,138
2003	2,940	67.3%	+2.3 pts	144,838
2004	3,132	66.8%	+2.5 pts	134,255
2005	4,111	66.7%	+2.2 pts	134,452

Check a specific Bora before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volkswagen models

Golf77.8% pass rate · 782,869 tests Polo71.4% pass rate · 577,151 tests Transporter70.7% pass rate · 269,178 tests Tiguan81.4% pass rate · 184,098 tests Passat75.3% pass rate · 166,958 tests Caddy73.4% pass rate · 139,412 tests Up84.1% pass rate · 121,528 tests Touran73.2% pass rate · 67,815 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Bora?

In 2025, 68.7% of 4,354 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Bora were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Bora fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment (23.3% of its recorded defects), followed by brakes.

Is the Volkswagen Bora reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 68.7% it performs below the national average at a median age of 22 years and 135,588 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.