Volkswagen Polo MOT pass rate: 71.4% (577,151 tests, 2025)

The Volkswagen Polo passed 71.4% of its 577,151 MOT tests in 2025 — 6.1 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 67,396 miles on the clock.

71.4%Pass rate (2025)

577,151MOT tests analysed

67,396 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the Polo compares

Volkswagen Polo

71.4%

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 Polo

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	102,380	22.5%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	89,488	19.7%
3	Brakes	84,413	18.6%
4	Tyres	47,239	10.4%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	38,770	8.5%
6	Body, chassis, structure	38,253	8.4%

Pre-MOT checklist for Polo owners

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

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
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
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

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

Polo pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2002, 2003, 2005. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2020, 2022. Full ranking and method: Volkswagen Polo years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	11,587	63.4%	-3.1 pts	81,812
2002	18,491	57.6%	-8.0 pts	90,532
2003	31,787	57.1%	-7.9 pts	93,008
2004	39,168	57.0%	-7.3 pts	94,034
2005	46,291	56.9%	-7.6 pts	95,374
2006	59,390	57.6%	-6.9 pts	95,398
2007	69,132	60.3%	-4.8 pts	92,849
2008	75,078	59.9%	-5.2 pts	89,886
2009	69,314	61.5%	-4.9 pts	84,394
2010	111,485	64.8%	-2.6 pts	86,301
2011	117,587	66.2%	-2.9 pts	82,208
2012	111,089	70.1%	-1.1 pts	75,955
2013	114,510	71.6%	-1.7 pts	70,502
2014	130,967	74.3%	-1.5 pts	64,881
2015	152,207	77.5%	-1.2 pts	58,426
2016	153,194	79.8%	-1.6 pts	51,489
2017	135,789	81.6%	-2.4 pts	44,149
2018	128,801	80.2%	-6.1 pts	38,530
2019	108,059	86.4%	-2.0 pts	31,660
2020	40,929	91.1%	+1.2 pts	24,984
2021	12,061	91.3%	+0.9 pts	23,461
2022	6,763	93.6%	+2.4 pts	20,068

Check a specific Polo 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 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 T-Roc92.0% pass rate · 55,178 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Polo?

In 2025, 71.4% of 577,151 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen Polo were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Polo fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (22.5% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Volkswagen Polo reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 71.4% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 67,396 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.