In 2025, 579,183 Volkswagen Polo cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 66% passed first time, compared with 69% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Polo about average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 174 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 3 years old, 92% of Polos passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 47% (all cars: 58%). It starts out ahead of the average car but falls behind from around 6 years, which is worth knowing if you are buying an older one.
Volkswagen Polo All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Polo passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 6,795 | 92% | 88% | 21,963 |
| 4 years | 6,263 | 88% | 87% | 28,757 |
| 5 years | 13,739 | 86% | 86% | 34,664 |
| 6 years | 36,611 | 79% | 84% | 41,014 |
| 7 years | 43,718 | 75% | 81% | 47,740 |
| 8 years | 45,836 | 76% | 78% | 52,837 |
| 9 years | 51,721 | 74% | 75% | 59,968 |
| 10 years | 51,260 | 72% | 72% | 66,437 |
| 11 years | 44,209 | 67% | 69% | 72,428 |
| 12 years | 38,281 | 62% | 66% | 77,318 |
| 13 years | 36,997 | 61% | 63% | 82,238 |
| 14 years | 38,493 | 58% | 61% | 87,575 |
| 15 years | 35,995 | 56% | 59% | 91,045 |
| 16 years | 21,990 | 53% | 58% | 89,453 |
| 17 years | 23,120 | 51% | 57% | 94,692 |
| 18 years | 20,921 | 52% | 57% | 96,882 |
| 19 years | 17,353 | 48% | 57% | 98,814 |
| 20 years | 13,079 | 47% | 58% | 98,273 |
What fails most on a Volkswagen Polo
The area that lets the Polo down most, relative to other cars, is steering: 5.0% of tests failed on it, 2.3 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Polo tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 6.3% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 6.1% |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Steering | 4.0% |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Suspension | 3.7% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 3.3% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 3.3% |
What to check when buying a used Polo
Based on where the Polo fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- 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
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 Polo
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a PoloFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen Polo?
In 2025, 66% of Volkswagen Polo cars passed their MOT first time, across 579,183 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 69%.
What do Volkswagen Polo cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (6.3% of tests); a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (6.1% of tests); steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (4.0% of tests).
Other Volkswagen models
Volkswagen Golf (73%), Volkswagen Transporter (66%), Volkswagen Tiguan (78%), Volkswagen Passat (71%), Volkswagen Caddy (68%), Volkswagen Up (79%). 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.