MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Volkswagen Polo — MOT statistics 2024

All Volkswagen Polo variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 895,817 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index 114.8, 95% CI 114.5–115.1 (100 = national average) 100 114.8 60 160
Index
114.8
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
32.68%
n = 895,817
Dangerous /100
13
national ≈13
Diesel − petrol
+11.2 pp
fail-rate gap
Rank
18 of 25
lower index = better

This car fails its MOT about 15% more often than expected for its age.

Age-adjusted peer: Fiat 500 (index 116.2)— the two published results are 1.4 index points apart.

What actually fails

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Family vs national defect rates across 6 component groups This family National avg Lamps & electrical 31.7 Suspension 25.3 Brakes 20.2 Body & structure 14.0 Visibility 12.7 Steering 12.4

family vs national — top component groups, per 100 tests

Component-group comparison table
GroupThis familyNational
Lamps & electrical31.723.5
Suspension25.319.9
Brakes20.214.3
Body & structure14.08.4
Visibility12.712.0
Steering12.44.6
What failedper 100nationalratioCheck
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover…7.121.674.27×Ask the seller about: Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or det
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover…3.920.944.18×Ask the seller about: Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no
Transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot…5.002.701.85×Ask the seller about: A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely d
Rear registration plate lamp or light source…6.684.431.51×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down…5.192.991.73×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer…4.252.251.89×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.366.031.22×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated4.363.451.26×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…4.213.821.10×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously…3.734.270.87×Check wipers, washers and windscreen chips in the driver's view

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres 72 Suspension 53.8 Brakes 48.9 Non-component advisories 11.1 Body & structure 11.1 Emissions & leaks 7.2
Advisory rates table
Groupper 100
Tyres72
Suspension53.8
Brakes48.9
Non-component advisories11.1
Body & structure11.1
Emissions & leaks7.2

How it ages

3579111315171956%car age, years

Takeaway: a 10-year-old Polo has roughly a 31% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 5 it stays above the national age curve.

Data table
AgeVolkswagen PoloAll cars
310.5%10.9%
411.1%11.6%
515.8%13.5%
622.6%15.6%
721.6%18.2%
823.0%21.3%
925.5%24.4%
1030.8%27.7%
1133.8%30.6%
1235.7%33.4%
1339.5%36.0%
1441.1%38.6%
1545.2%39.9%
1648.4%41.5%
1748.4%41.5%
1851.3%42.4%
1951.8%42.2%
2049.5%37.5%

Petrol, diesel, hybrid — which ages best?

Fail rate by fuel type: Diesel 42.9%, Petrol 31.8% 42.9% Diesel n=74k 31.8% Petrol n=822k
Fuel split table
FuelTests% failing
Petrol822,17331.8%
Diesel73,59842.9%

How severe are the defects?

Defect severity per 100 tests: Minor 35.7, Major 90.6, Dangerous 12.6 35.790.612.6 Minor 35.7 Major 90.6 Dangerous 12.6

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 24.4 · Major 63.3 · Dangerous 12.9 per 100.

Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100
Minor35.7424.38
Major90.6063.26
Dangerous12.6212.89

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 3.6 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

33.61% in month 1 J33.4% in month 2 F30.88% in month 3 M33.48% in month 4 A31.99% in month 5 M30.83% in month 6 J32.02% in month 7 J31.96% in month 8 A31.8% in month 9 S33.99% in month 10 O34.43% in month 11 N33.78% in month 12 D 36% 23%

bars: Volkswagen Polo · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthVolkswagen PoloAll cars
Jan33.61%27.37%
Feb33.4%26.14%
Mar30.88%24.75%
Apr33.48%26.01%
May31.99%25.01%
Jun30.83%25.01%
Jul32.02%26.04%
Aug31.96%25.79%
Sep31.8%25.19%
Oct33.99%27.13%
Nov34.43%27.2%
Dec33.78%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 8-year-old Polo has ~53,220 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

369121518car age, years 128k mi 0

Does high mileage actually mean more failures?

Same age band (6–14 years), split by odometer — this separates wear from age: 17.3% of the lowest-mileage cars failed versus 45.4% of the highest.

<40k mi 17.3% 40-70k mi 27% 70-100k mi 37.1% 100-140k mi 43.6% 140k+ mi 45.4%
Odometer% failingTests
<40k miles17.3%128,371
40-70k miles27%225,329
70-100k miles37.1%152,089
100-140k miles43.6%69,124
140k+ miles45.4%10,648

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
314,02920,44228,00411,863
418,18826,36135,81024,805
523,46333,10843,82858,234
628,93739,89552,14366,230
732,73845,65359,85267,462
838,56553,22069,33776,842
943,58660,10377,32076,810
1048,65566,19785,23365,190
1152,11671,06991,07259,538
1256,58577,32498,49256,872
1362,25083,724105,07960,056
1465,05088,639110,93756,698
1563,06086,180110,13532,814
1668,50191,606116,45935,926
1770,58794,529118,73533,007
1873,71997,229121,68828,780
1973,70097,278121,74722,247
20+65,89290,273117,89361,938

Regional variation (raw rates)

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Truro (TR): 44.2% failing, 5,899 testsExeter (EX): 42.2% failing, 9,558 testsBournemouth (BH): 40.7% failing, 10,320 testsDorchester (DT): 40.4% failing, 4,510 testsKirkcaldy (KY): 39.9% failing, 5,616 testsPlymouth (PL): 39.8% failing, 8,236 testsDundee (DD): 39.6% failing, 4,508 testsSalisbury (SP): 39.6% failing, 5,149 testsBrighton (BN): 39.3% failing, 10,815 testsBristol (BS): 38.8% failing, 19,532 testsBath (BA): 38.8% failing, 9,593 testsTorquay (TQ): 38.3% failing, 4,160 testsCardiff (CF): 38% failing, 18,123 testsTaunton (TA): 38% failing, 5,454 testsSwindon (SN): 37.8% failing, 6,566 testsNorthampton (NN): 37.7% failing, 10,625 testsPortsmouth (PO): 37.6% failing, 10,848 testsSouthampton (SO): 36.8% failing, 9,468 testsGuildford (GU): 36.3% failing, 15,831 testsEdinburgh (EH): 36% failing, 13,391 testsLincoln (LN): 35.6% failing, 3,743 testsGloucester (GL): 35.6% failing, 12,228 testsNewport (NP): 35.4% failing, 7,903 testsFalkirk (FK): 35.4% failing, 3,291 testsGalashiels (TD): 35.3% failing, 1,819 testsSunderland (SR): 35.1% failing, 2,458 testsHuddersfield (HD): 34.9% failing, 4,088 testsNorwich (NR): 34.8% failing, 11,498 testsSwansea (SA): 34.8% failing, 12,039 testsOxford (OX): 34.6% failing, 12,457 testsLondon W (W): 34.4% failing, 3,262 testsManchester (M): 34.2% failing, 15,862 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 33.9% failing, 7,595 testsLeeds (LS): 33.8% failing, 10,564 testsCanterbury (CT): 33.8% failing, 7,017 testsCambridge (CB): 33.7% failing, 6,629 testsPerth (PH): 33.7% failing, 2,542 testsBlackpool (FY): 33.4% failing, 2,800 testsHarrogate (HG): 33.4% failing, 2,298 testsLlandudno (LL): 33.4% failing, 8,360 testsPaisley (PA): 33.2% failing, 3,575 testsNewcastle (NE): 33% failing, 13,006 testsWolverhampton (WV): 33% failing, 4,634 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 32.9% failing, 7,892 testsGlasgow (G): 32.8% failing, 15,408 testsStockport (SK): 32.8% failing, 9,119 testsYork (YO): 32.7% failing, 7,127 testsIpswich (IP): 32.6% failing, 10,127 testsShrewsbury (SY): 32.6% failing, 5,128 testsWorcester (WR): 32.6% failing, 5,017 testsTonbridge (TN): 32.5% failing, 15,755 testsLondon SE (SE): 32.5% failing, 8,339 testsReading (RG): 32.5% failing, 14,749 testsAberdeen (AB): 32.5% failing, 11,357 testsColchester (CO): 32.5% failing, 5,490 testsNottingham (NG): 32.4% failing, 13,496 testsLuton (LU): 32.3% failing, 4,297 testsRedhill (RH): 32.2% failing, 13,822 testsChester (CH): 32% failing, 7,794 testsPeterborough (PE): 31.9% failing, 12,362 testsWalsall (WS): 31.9% failing, 4,406 testsLeicester (LE): 31.7% failing, 13,098 testsHull (HU): 31.5% failing, 4,155 testsDarlington (DL): 31.5% failing, 4,613 testsCleveland (TS): 31.4% failing, 6,056 testsLiverpool (L): 31.4% failing, 5,949 testsOldham (OL): 31.3% failing, 6,298 testsStevenage (SG): 31.1% failing, 6,773 testsWarrington (WA): 31.1% failing, 7,371 testsCrewe (CW): 31.1% failing, 4,244 testsSt Albans (AL): 31.1% failing, 4,669 testsWigan (WN): 31% failing, 3,445 testsHalifax (HX): 30.7% failing, 2,276 testsWakefield (WF): 30.7% failing, 6,887 testsLondon SW (SW): 30.4% failing, 7,032 testsCarlisle (CA): 30.3% failing, 4,758 testsWatford (WD): 30.2% failing, 3,824 testsPreston (PR): 30.1% failing, 6,930 testsInverness (IV): 30% failing, 4,183 testsMedway (ME): 30% failing, 11,130 testsBradford (BD): 29.9% failing, 9,625 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 29.9% failing, 9,653 testsLondon N (N): 29.8% failing, 8,188 testsCoventry (CV): 29.6% failing, 10,948 testsChelmsford (CM): 29.6% failing, 10,216 testsDerby (DE): 29.5% failing, 9,999 testsLondon E (E): 29.4% failing, 7,322 testsIlford (IG): 29.4% failing, 4,165 testsCroydon (CR): 29.3% failing, 6,557 testsLondon NW (NW): 29.2% failing, 9,152 testsTelford (TF): 29.2% failing, 2,819 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 29.2% failing, 12,180 testsDoncaster (DN): 29% failing, 7,753 testsLancaster (LA): 28.8% failing, 5,023 testsBolton (BL): 28.8% failing, 6,405 testsKilmarnock (KA): 28.7% failing, 4,815 testsSlough (SL): 28.6% failing, 7,913 testsBlackburn (BB): 28.6% failing, 8,111 testsBromley (BR): 28.3% failing, 3,833 testsBirmingham (B): 28.3% failing, 25,643 testsDudley (DY): 28.2% failing, 4,511 testsHarrow (HA): 28.2% failing, 6,746 testsTwickenham (TW): 27.5% failing, 9,549 testsUxbridge (UB): 27.5% failing, 9,068 testsMotherwell (ML): 27.2% failing, 4,030 testsEnfield (EN): 27% failing, 6,970 testsSheffield (S): 26.9% failing, 19,442 testsHereford (HR): 26.6% failing, 4,440 testsDartford (DA): 26.5% failing, 6,228 testsDumfries (DG): 26.3% failing, 2,086 testsDurham (DH): 26.1% failing, 4,932 testsSutton (SM): 25.9% failing, 2,146 testsSouthend-on-Sea (SS): 24.7% failing, 5,059 testsRomford (RM): 23.6% failing, 5,162 tests % failing 27% 40%
Toughest areas% failing
Truro (TR)44.18%
Exeter (EX)42.16%
Bournemouth (BH)40.68%
Dorchester (DT)40.35%
Kirkcaldy (KY)39.94%
Easiest areas% failing
Romford (RM)23.63%
Southend-on-Sea (SS)24.69%
Sutton (SM)25.91%
Durham (DH)26.05%
Dumfries (DG)26.27%

Quick answers

Is a 10-year-old Polo a bad buy?
A 10-year-old Polo has roughly a 31% chance of failing its MOT. Across 895,817 initial tests in 2024 the family fails its MOT about 15% more often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 114.8, where 100 = normal for its age). For a similarly sized published sample, compare Vauxhall Astra MOT stats: 914,157 tests and index 109.1.
What usually fails on a Polo MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn; steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated; a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources.
Are diesel Polos worse?
42.9% of diesel tests found a failing defect vs 31.8% of petrol — a gap of 11.2 percentage points.
What mileage is normal for a Polo?
For a typical 8-year-old Polo, the median is about 53,220 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 38,565 and 69,337.
How often are dangerous faults found?
About 13 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial Volkswagen Polo tests in 2024 (national average ≈13) — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Same brand

All Volkswagen MOT statisticsVolkswagen Golf MOT stats

Similar risk

Fiat 500 (index 116.2)Ford Fiesta (index 117.8)Nissan Leaf (index 109.2)

Same size class

how Vauxhall Astra compareshow Nissan Qashqai compareshow MINI Hatch compares

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Volkswagen Polo MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/volkswagen-polo/ · Published 2026-07-30.