MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Volkswagen Polo MOT fail rate and common faults

How Volkswagen Polo cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 150,989 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=37,275)39.0%

All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%

Difference+0.7 pts

MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 2025150,989

What stands out

In 2025, at 13 years old, Volkswagen Polo cars first used in 2012 failed 39.0% of MOTs (37,275 tests), about the same as the 38.3% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 33.6% to 39.0%.
Volkswagen Polo cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 41.4% at the same age of 13 years (40,100 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Volkswagen Polo at 13 years, is shock absorber leaking, at 4.3 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.5).

MOT fail rate by test year

Volkswagen Polo cars first used in 2012: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	10 years	33.6%	37,857	30.3%	+3.3 pts
2023	11 years	36.3%	37,966	33.3%	+3.0 pts
2024	12 years	37.8%	37,891	36.0%	+1.8 pts
2025	13 years	39.0%	37,275	38.3%	+0.7 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Polo MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=142,073). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Shock absorber leaking	4.3	1.5
Side/position light not working Wear	3.9	4.8
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.5	1.4
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.5	2.2
Suspension arm bush worn	3.4	2.0
Coil spring broken	3.3	4.1
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	3.1	1.8
Handbrake too weak	3.1	1.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.7	3.0
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	2.6	1.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=142,073). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	17.1	18.2
Shock absorber misting oil	11.7	4.0
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.7	9.1
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	9.6	8.0
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.5	10.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	8.5	5.2
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	7.6	3.1
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	5.3	7.2
Coil spring: corroded	4.5	5.6
Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)	4.1	2.1

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=142,073). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Polo MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=142,073). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	87.6%	40.2%	124,446	37.7%	77,717 miles
Diesel	12.4%	45.5%	17,622	39.1%	104,413 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Volkswagen Polo MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=142,073). At 13 years, Volkswagen Polo cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (51.1%, n=3,470) than those at under 30,000 miles (18.2%, n=6,082). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	18.2%	6,082	18.6%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	30.5%	30,116	29.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	42.2%	50,067	38.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	47.9%	38,043	42.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	49.7%	13,356	43.2%
Over 150,000 miles	51.1%	3,470	43.0%

Car tax rules for a 2012 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Volkswagen Polo

2011 Volkswagen Polo 2013 Volkswagen Polo

Other Volkswagen models first used in 2012

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Volkswagen Golf (2012)	13 years in 2025	32.9%	51,025	38.3%
Volkswagen Passat (2012)	13 years in 2025	35.1%	13,198	38.3%
Volkswagen up! (2012)	13 years in 2025	26.1%	13,888	38.3%
Volkswagen Tiguan (2012)	13 years in 2025	33.9%	8,832	38.3%
Volkswagen Touran (2012)	13 years in 2025	32.5%	5,622	38.3%
Volkswagen Scirocco (2012)	13 years in 2025	34.8%	4,195	38.3%
Volkswagen CC (2012)	13 years in 2025	30.3%	2,137	38.3%
Volkswagen Beetle (2012)	13 years in 2025	34.3%	2,297	38.3%

More on the Volkswagen Polo

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2012 Volkswagen Polo cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.