598,636 Polos had an MOT in 2025. 68.3% passed first time, against 72.3% for other cars of the same age and mileage. Cars registered from 2005 to 2009 are furthest behind, failing on body and structure 1.9 times as often as comparable cars. Those registered from 2022 onwards pass more often than other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often Polos of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 47.2% | −10.8 | 13,079 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 48.4% | −9.0 | 17,353 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 51.5% | −6.6 | 20,924 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 51.3% | −6.8 | 23,120 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 53.2% | −6.2 | 21,990 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 56.2% | −4.0 | 35,996 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 57.6% | −4.8 | 38,506 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 60.7% | −4.0 | 37,006 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 62.5% | −4.5 | 38,297 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 66.7% | −3.3 | 44,221 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 71.8% | −1.5 | 51,276 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 74.4% | −1.9 | 51,732 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 76.4% | −3.4 | 45,845 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 74.9% | −7.2 | 43,727 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 78.7% | −5.8 | 36,623 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 86.4% | −0.6 | 26,271 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 88.0% | −0.3 | 29,926 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 91.7% | +1.9 | 22,744 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
3.5% of Polo MOTs failed on steering, against 1.9% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 4.6% on body and structure, against 3.2%.
Up to 30,000 miles, Polos pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Behind from there: 30–60,000 miles 2.7 points, 60–90,000 miles 4.4 points, 90–120,000 miles 6.4 points, 120,000+ miles 8.8 points.
Diesels passed 56.2% first time, 6.1 points below comparable cars; petrols passed 69.2%, 3.8 points below comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 103,183 miles at the test, against 59,390 for petrols.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 558,148 | 69.2% | 73.0% | −3.8 | 59,390 |
| Diesel | 40,474 | 56.2% | 62.2% | −6.1 | 103,183 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Polo ranks 9 of 17.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Honda Jazz | 136,227 | 87.4% | 82.0% | +5.4 | |
| 2. MINI Cooper | 339,527 | 85.3% | 80.8% | +4.5 | |
| 3. Toyota Yaris | 215,964 | 82.4% | 80.7% | +1.6 | |
| 4. Hyundai i20 | 77,319 | 79.6% | 78.7% | +0.9 | |
| 5. Mazda 2 | 60,284 | 80.6% | 79.8% | +0.9 | |
| 6. Suzuki Swift | 77,438 | 80.6% | 80.1% | +0.5 | |
| 7. Audi A1 | 162,411 | 78.5% | 78.7% | −0.2 | |
| 8. Skoda Fabia | 118,924 | 77.9% | 79.3% | −1.3 | |
| 9. VW Polo | 329,621 | 76.0% | 79.1% | −3.1 | |
| 10. Ford Fiesta | 693,788 | 73.2% | 78.2% | −4.9 | |
| 11. Citroen C3 | 95,143 | 73.8% | 80.1% | −6.2 | |
| 12. Seat Ibiza | 113,185 | 71.2% | 77.6% | −6.4 | |
| 13. Peugeot 208 | 157,349 | 71.7% | 78.8% | −7.1 | |
| 14. Nissan Micra | 81,543 | 73.4% | 81.0% | −7.6 | |
| 15. Vauxhall Corsa | 477,348 | 70.1% | 78.7% | −8.6 | |
| 16. Dacia Sandero | 97,355 | 67.1% | 79.5% | −12.4 | |
| 17. Renault Clio | 148,256 | 63.9% | 78.1% | −14.2 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on Polos in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 68.3% of 598,636 Polo MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 72.3% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005 to 2009: well behind (−6.2 to −10.8 points). 2010 to 2017: behind (−1.5 to −4.8 points). 2018 to 2019: well behind (−5.8 to −7.2 points). 2020 to 2021: level (−0.3 to −0.6 points). 2022: ahead (+1.9 points).
Going by 2025 MOT results, 2005 to 2009 and 2010 to 2017 and 2018 to 2019. Those cars passed first time −6.2 to −10.8 and −1.5 to −4.8 and −5.8 to −7.2 points against comparable cars.
Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn: 3.0% of Polo MOTs, against 1.2% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol Polos passed 69.2% first time and diesels 56.2%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 3.8 points below and diesels 6.1 points below.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the Ford Fiesta passed 73.2% first time, −4.9 points against comparable cars. The Polo passed 76.0%, −3.1 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Polo's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a VW Polo: 37 recorded model names, from "POLO" to trims such as "POLO MATCH TSI".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.