Renault Clio vs Volkswagen Polo: which fails its MOT less?
Allowing for age, the Volkswagen Polo fails its MOT less often than the Renault Clio.
- less often than the Renault Clio, at the same age
- 18.0%less often than the Renault Clio, at the same age
MOTs passed in 2024: Renault Clio 63.8%, Volkswagen Polo 71.8%
Both fail more often than normal for their age.
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 919,302 tests
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Which fails less for its age?
Allowing for age, the Volkswagen Polo fails less often: MOT Risk Index 111.6 against 136.1 (100 = normal for its age; difference 24.5, 95% CI 23.8–25.2).
Both fail more often than normal for their age.
| Measure | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed at the first attempt, % | 57.2 | 65.7 | 2024 |
| MOT Risk Index (100 = normal) | 136.1 | 111.6 | 2024 |
| 95% interval of the index | 135.6–136.7 | 111.2–112.0 | 2024 |
| Rank among 761 models (1 = fails least for its age) | 715 | 573 | 2024 |
| First tests | 323,880 | 595,422 | 2024 |
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After defects were fixed at the test centre
63.8% of Renault Clio tests and 71.8% of Volkswagen Polo tests passed, including defects fixed during the test. This is a different outcome from passing at the first attempt.
What explains the difference?
The clearest difference is suspension: against its own class and age, the Renault Clio runs +10.9 items per 100 tests and the Volkswagen Polo +0.7, so the Volkswagen Polo has 10.2 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 10.1 to 10.3).
Each model is compared with its own class and age; the fleets can differ in mileage and use.
More detail
Dangerous defects and advisory items
| Measure | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects per 100 tests | 14.1 | 10.0 |
| Advisory items per 100 tests | 142.3 | 121.5 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024. A test can record several items. CSV
At what age does one of them fail more?
The Volkswagen Polo fails less at 17 of 17 ages where both are tested, and the gap points the same way at every age where it is clear. Across the 4 yearly tests from age 4 to 7, the gaps add up to 31.8 extra failed tests per 100 for the Renault Clio (a sum of yearly rates, not the chance of one car failing).
| Age | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | +5.5 | +5.1 to +5.8 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 4 | +5.0 | +4.6 to +5.4 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 5 | +6.4 | +6.0 to +6.8 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 6 | +8.5 | +8.1 to +8.9 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 7 | +11.9 | +11.4 to +12.4 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 8 | +13.0 | +12.5 to +13.4 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 9 | +13.4 | +13.0 to +13.9 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 10 | +13.0 | +12.5 to +13.5 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 11 | +12.3 | +11.7 to +12.8 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 12 | +11.7 | +11.2 to +12.2 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 13 | +9.5 | +9.0 to +10.0 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 14 | +7.6 | +7.1 to +8.1 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 15 | +6.1 | +5.6 to +6.6 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 16 | +4.6 | +4.0 to +5.1 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 17 | +3.0 | +2.4 to +3.7 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 18 | +2.0 | +1.3 to +2.8 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 19 | +1.7 | +0.8 to +2.6 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| Age band | Ages included | Renault Clio, % | Volkswagen Polo, % | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | 3–5 | 20.1 | 14.5 | +5.6 | +5.5 to +5.8 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 6–10 | 6–10 | 40.6 | 28.3 | +12.3 | +12.2 to +12.4 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| 11+ | 11–20+ | 53.4 | 46.1 | +7.3 | +7.2 to +7.4 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,516,163 (initial tests at shared ages) · Method: difference of two proportions per age, Bonferroni-corrected for 17 ages; age bands pool the published ages with an unadjusted 95% interval, and the same car can appear at more than one age, so that interval is somewhat narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Where do their MOT failures diverge?
The clearest difference is suspension: against its own class and age, the Renault Clio runs +10.9 items per 100 tests and the Volkswagen Polo +0.7, so the Volkswagen Polo has 10.2 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 10.1 to 10.3).
| Component group | Renault Clio vs its class | Volkswagen Polo vs its class | Gap, Renault Clio minus Volkswagen Polo | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | +10.9 | +0.7 | +10.2 | +10.1 to +10.3 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | +13.7 | +4.8 | +9.0 | +8.9 to +9.1 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| Body, chassis, structure | −0.1 | +3.7 | −3.7 | −3.8 to −3.7 | Renault Clio fails less |
| Steering | +5.2 | +1.6 | +3.6 | +3.6 to +3.6 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | −0.9 | +2.5 | −3.4 | −3.4 to −3.4 | Renault Clio fails less |
| Visibility | +3.6 | +1.0 | +2.7 | +2.6 to +2.7 | Volkswagen Polo fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 5,742,170 (initial tests) · Method: each model's failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for its own class and age; Poisson interval; the age standard leaves the model out and is treated as fixed; items in the same test are treated as independent, so the interval is slightly narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If one fails, which is more likely to fail again?
A failure on the Volkswagen Polo carries 2.6 percentage points more extra risk of failing again than on the Renault Clio.
| Measure | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| After a failed test, % | 45.6 | 39.3 |
| After a passed test, % | 36.3 | 27.4 |
| Extra risk carried by a failure, pp | 9.3 | 11.9 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 398,962 (tests after a fail) · Method: test chains of the same vehicles; cars sold or scrapped after a fail drop out · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What do six years of MOTs show about the two?
The biggest gap in advisories turning into fails is steering: 24.7% on the Renault Clio against 12.8% on the Volkswagen Polo failed on the same item at the next MOT.
| Component | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo | Difference, pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 24.7 | 12.8 | +11.9 |
| Suspension | 31.2 | 22.2 | +9.0 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.5 | 21.0 | −6.5 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.7 | 11.1 | −4.5 |
| Visibility | 15.3 | 12.4 | +3.0 |
| Brakes | 17.2 | 14.5 | +2.7 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 8.6 | 6.4 | +2.2 |
| Tyres | 11.2 | 9.6 | +1.6 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 4.6 | 3.8 | +0.9 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 36.6 | 37.2 | −0.6 |
| Measure | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| Repaired and passed the same day | 43.2% | 45.9% |
| Passed 1–10 days later | 54.0% | 51.5% |
| Median retest delay | 1.0 days | 1.0 days |
| Failures per 10,000 miles | 0.815 | 0.602 |
| Three-test clean streak | 28.8% | 37.6% |
| Same advisory repeated 3+ times | 36.2% | 31.6% |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 3,703,068 (tracked advisories) · Method: same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT; common publishable components only · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Recalls, other countries and running costs, side by side
DVSA lists 24 recall campaigns matched to the Renault Clio and 30 to the Volkswagen Polo; more campaigns do not by themselves mean a less reliable car. Abroad, compare each model with that country's own average, because pass rates do not carry across rulebooks. Repair bills are catalogue estimates, not quotes.
| Measure | Renault Clio | Volkswagen Polo |
|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns listed | 24 | 30 |
| Finland Katsastus: fails, % (national average 26.3%) | 36.4 (9,865 inspections) | 24.0 (21,606 inspections) |
| Netherlands APK: fails, % (national average 50.8%) | 54.9 (120,379 inspections) | 54.0 (216,450 inspections) |
| Norway PKK: fails, % (national average 33.7%) | 41.8 (2,167 inspections) | 36.2 (20,649 inspections) |
| Expected MOT repair bill, £ (estimate) | £136 | £93 |
| Repair bill range, £ (catalogue range, not a 95% interval) | £136–£259 | £93–£176 |
Source: DVSA vehicle recalls register (OGL v3.0); Statens vegvesen PKK (CC BY 4.0), Traficom Katsastus (CC BY 4.0), RDW APK (CC0), adapted; UK repair price catalogue · Window: register as published; inspections 2024 · n = 391,116 (inspections abroad) · Method: recall campaigns matched by make and model, licensed-fleet denominator where available; abroad, samples below 500 suppressed and each model set against that country's own average, with no difference taken across countries; repair bill = chance of failing each item × its most common UK repair price, a catalogue estimate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV · licences and full notice
How to cite this comparison
MOT Risk Index (2026). Renault Clio vs Volkswagen Polo: MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/compare/renault-clio-vs-volkswagen-polo/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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Renault Clio vs Volkswagen Polo: quick answers
Is the Renault Clio or the Volkswagen Polo more reliable?
Allowing for age, the Volkswagen Polo fails less often: MOT Risk Index 111.6 against 136.1 (100 = normal for its age; difference 24.5, 95% CI 23.8–25.2).
Does the Renault Clio or the Volkswagen Polo fail more MOTs?
42.8% of Renault Clio first tests and 34.4% of Volkswagen Polo first tests failed in 2024. These raw rates do not allow for age; the MOT Risk Index does.
Which should I buy, the Renault Clio or the Volkswagen Polo?
If MOT reliability decides it, the evidence favours the Volkswagen Polo. Still check the individual car's MOT history: these figures describe whole model populations.