In 2025, 23,316 Volkswagen Fox cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 51% passed first time, compared with 58% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Fox worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 202 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 14 years old, 55% of Foxs passed first time (all cars that age: 61%). By 19 years, that figure is 52% (all cars: 57%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 17 years (8 points behind).
Volkswagen Fox All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Fox passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 years | 2,214 | 55% | 61% | 73,101 |
| 15 years | 6,849 | 51% | 59% | 77,809 |
| 16 years | 4,318 | 50% | 58% | 78,035 |
| 17 years | 3,783 | 49% | 57% | 85,805 |
| 18 years | 3,897 | 50% | 57% | 85,636 |
| 19 years | 2,169 | 52% | 57% | 87,947 |
What fails most on a Volkswagen Fox
The area that lets the Fox down most, relative to other cars, is emissions and leaks: 15.3% of tests failed on it, 3.9 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Fox tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Suspension | 12.2% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 10.0% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 9.1% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 7.3% |
| Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | Visibility | 6.4% |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 6.2% |
What to check when buying a used Fox
Based on where the Fox fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Emissions and leaks: Look for oil and coolant leaks underneath, listen for exhaust blows on a cold start, and watch for smoke when revving. Repair guide
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
- Visibility: Check the windscreen for chips in the driver’s view, the wipers for smearing and the washers for working jets. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Fox
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a FoxFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Fox?
In 2025, 51% of Volkswagen Fox cars passed their MOT first time, across 23,316 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 58%.
What do Volkswagen Fox cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (12.2% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (10.0% of tests); windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen (9.1% of tests).
Other Volkswagen models
Volkswagen Golf (73%), Volkswagen Polo (66%), Volkswagen Transporter (66%), Volkswagen Tiguan (78%), Volkswagen Passat (71%), Volkswagen Caddy (68%). All Volkswagen models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.