Volkswagen Polo: reliability by registration year
1999-2023 · 25 registration years · 604,765 first tests
Registration years
First-attempt MOT results for every Polo registration year with at least 500 first tests in 2025. Pass rates rise with newer cars, so read a year against its neighbours rather than against the top of the table. Years without their own report are listed here with the same figures.
| Year | First tests | First-attempt pass | Incl. PRS | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 840 | 92.9% | 95.4% | |
| 2022 | 21,988 | 91.6% | 93.6% | Tyre condition (front) 19.5% |
| 2021 | 29,050 | 88.0% | 91.5% | Windscreen wipers (front) 18.6% |
| 2020 | 25,440 | 86.4% | 89.7% | Windscreen wipers (front) 12.3% |
| about 3 in every 100 better than the years either side. What most often failed a 2020 Polo: Windscreen wipers (front) (12.3%) · Tyre tread depth (front) (8.7%) · Tyre condition (front) (8.3%) | ||||
| 2019 | 35,183 | 78.7% | 82.2% | Track rod end (front) 34.3% |
| 2018 | 42,231 | 74.6% | 78.0% | Track rod end (front) 39.1% |
| about 3 in every 100 worse than the years either side. What most often failed a 2018 Polo: Track rod end (front) (39.1%) · Tyre tread depth (front) (6.9%) · Windscreen washers (6.7%) | ||||
| 2017 | 44,389 | 76.2% | 79.9% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 23.3% |
| 2016 | 49,981 | 74.3% | 78.2% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 19.8% |
| 2015 | 49,512 | 71.6% | 75.8% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 17.5% |
| 2014 | 42,662 | 66.4% | 72.9% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 14.1% |
| 2013 | 36,830 | 62.2% | 70.2% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 9.5% |
| 2012 | 35,425 | 60.2% | 68.5% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 11.5% |
| 2011 | 36,544 | 56.9% | 64.5% | Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) 10.8% |
| 2010 | 34,091 | 55.4% | 62.9% | Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) 10.7% |
| 2009 | 20,959 | 52.3% | 59.8% | Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) 12.2% |
| 2008 | 22,110 | 50.5% | 58.5% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 14.0% |
| 2007 | 19,945 | 50.8% | 59.6% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 17.8% |
| 2006 | 16,464 | 47.6% | 56.4% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 18.4% |
| 2005 | 12,446 | 46.4% | 55.9% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 15.8% |
| 2004 | 10,245 | 47.3% | 57.0% | Headlight aim 15.1% |
| 2003 | 8,132 | 47.3% | 56.9% | Headlight aim 15.1% |
| 2002 | 4,711 | 48.3% | 57.3% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 15.3% |
| 2001 | 2,969 | 54.2% | 62.8% | Drive shaft joints and boots (front) 15.2% |
| 2000 | 1,908 | 53.3% | 62.2% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 18.6% |
| 1999 | 710 | 60.0% | 64.9% | Petrol emissions (with catalyst) 21.6% |