MOT statistics · 2023 tests

Volkswagen Polo MOT pass rate, common failures and mileage

In 2023, 73.1% of 628,160 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Polo ended in a pass, 3.4 points below the 76.5% average for all cars. Comparing like for like at ages 3 to 10, it passed 80.7% against 82.0%, ranking 91st of 148 models.

Pass rate

73.1%

All cars 76.5%

Tests

628,160

Initial MOTs in 2023

Ages 3 to 10

80.7%

All cars 82.0% · rank 91 of 148

Mileage at 10

69k

Median; middle half 51k to 87k

Pass rate and mileage by age

Each row covers the Volkswagen Polo MOT tests at that age. Mileage shows the median and the middle half of odometer readings, from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

Age	Pass rate	Mileage
221,160 tests	93.7%	17,000 · 13k to 25k
330,892 tests	91.3%	23,000 · 15k to 31k
442,595 tests	85.0%	29,000 · 21k to 39k
540,121 tests	83.1%	35,000 · 25k to 47k
650,466 tests	82.4%	43,000 · 31k to 55k
750,185 tests	79.9%	49,000 · 35k to 65k
847,547 tests	76.8%	57,000 · 41k to 73k
940,428 tests	74.0%	63,000 · 45k to 81k
1037,935 tests	71.8%	69,000 · 51k to 87k
1139,117 tests	69.3%	75,000 · 55k to 95k
1239,010 tests	66.1%	79,000 · 59k to 101k
1333,327 tests	64.1%	81,000 · 59k to 105k
1425,154 tests	60.9%	85,000 · 63k to 109k
1526,932 tests	60.7%	89,000 · 67k to 113k
1624,191 tests	59.1%	91,000 · 69k to 115k
1721,195 tests	56.8%	95,000 · 71k to 119k
1816,623 tests	57.2%	93,000 · 71k to 119k
1914,303 tests	55.8%	93,000 · 69k to 119k
2010,909 tests	56.2%	93,000 · 69k to 119k
215,688 tests	59.7%	87,000 · 65k to 115k
224,166 tests	63.3%	81,000 · 59k to 109k
232,037 tests	63.7%	83,000 · 59k to 109k
24954 tests	64.5%	69,000 · 49k to 93k
25554 tests	65.7%	69,000 · 49k to 91k

Polo pass rateAll cars at that ageMiddle half of mileages

Most common MOT failures and advisories

How often each item came up, per 100 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Polo. Advisories are things the tester noted that did not fail the car, often wear that will need attention soon. Follow an item to see what it means and how serious it is.

Failures

Side and tail lights

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

2.6in 100 tests

Suspension bushes

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

2.3in 100 tests

Tyre tread

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

2.3in 100 tests

Wiper blades

Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

2.2in 100 tests

Coil springs

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

2.2in 100 tests

Suspension and drive joints

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

2.1in 100 tests

Headlights

A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED

2.0in 100 tests

Screen washers

Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen

1.9in 100 tests

Advisories and minor defects

Tyres

A tyre seriously damaged

10.4in 100 tests

Brake discs

Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured

8.4in 100 tests

Suspension bushes

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

6.4in 100 tests

Shock absorbers

A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage

5.1in 100 tests

Brake pads

A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

4.8in 100 tests

Number plate lights

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (minor defect)

4.4in 100 tests

Exhaust

Exhaust system leaking or insecure

4.2in 100 tests

Engine oil leaks

Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users

3.6in 100 tests

What to check on a used Polo

The parts that come up most often in Volkswagen Polo MOTs, and how to look at them on a viewing.

Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts and bulges in the sidewalls.
Brake discs and pads
Ask when the discs and pads were last replaced, and look through the wheel for a raised lip on the edge of the disc.
Suspension and steering joints
Listen for knocks over bumps and at full lock, and ask whether any suspension or steering joints have been replaced.
Shock absorbers
Push down hard on each corner: it should rise once and settle. Oil on the shock absorber body is a sign of a leak.
Lights
Walk round with every light on, and ask someone to press the brake pedal so you can see both brake lights.

Check a specific Polo

Fleet averages only go so far. Enter the registration to see that car's own MOT history, mileage record and current condition, free.

Questions

What is the MOT pass rate of the Volkswagen Polo?

In 2023, 73.1% of 628,160 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Polo ended in a pass, against 76.5% for all cars and light vans. At ages 3 to 10, with the same age mix as all cars, it was 80.7% against 82.0%.

What fails most often on a Volkswagen Polo MOT?

The most common failures were side and tail lights (2.6 in 100 tests), suspension bushes (2.3 in 100 tests), tyre tread (2.3 in 100 tests).

What is a normal mileage for a 10-year-old Volkswagen Polo?

At 10 years old, the median Volkswagen Polo at its MOT had covered 69,000 miles, and the middle half had between 51,000 and 87,000 miles.

What do MOT testers most often advise on a Volkswagen Polo?

The most common advisories were tyres (10.4 in 100 tests), brake discs (8.4 in 100 tests), suspension bushes (6.4 in 100 tests).

How these figures are made. We counted every initial MOT test (not retests) of cars and light vans in Great Britain in 2023 from the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 33,842,940 tests in all. Pass rate is the share of initial tests that ended in a pass, counting faults fixed during the test. Age is whole years from first registration to the test, so a car having its first MOT a few weeks early counts as 2.

Like-for-like pass rates average each model's pass rate at ages 3 to 10 with the same age mix for every model, so a model is not flattered by a young fleet or penalised by an old one. Models are grouped by the first word of the DVSA model name, and names that cover several models are left out.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. RegTail's analysis of the DVSA anonymised MOT dataset, 2023 tests.