At a Glance
The Volkswagen Polo has 15 identified common problems across 6 generations, with the Mk4 (2002-2009) being the most affected generation and suspension the most common problem category. Based on 10.1M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Volkswagen Polo common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Volkswagen Polo generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Volkswagen Polo Generations
Select a generation to see its specific problems, MOT failures and advisories
Mk1
Most common MOT failure: Brake performance below minimum
Mk2
Most common MOT failure: Brake hydraulic component worn
Mk3
Top issue: Brake air or vacuum system fault
Mk4
Top issue: Spark ignition emissions above threshold
Mk5
Top issue: Brake lever fault
Mk6
Top issue: Track rod end worn
Most Common Volkswagen Polo MOT Failures
Every reason Volkswagen Polo vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 7.91% |
| 2 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 7.59% |
| 3 | Number plate lamp not working | 6.23% |
| 4 | Brake performance below minimum | 5.56% |
| 5 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 5.38% |
| 6 | Tyre condition | 5.23% |
| 7 | Stop lamp not working | 4.52% |
| 8 | Driveshaft fault | 3.88% |
| 9 | Windscreen washer not working | 3.86% |
| 10 | Exhaust system fault | 3.68% |
| 11 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | 3.55% |
| 12 | Headlamp aim defect | 2.75% |
| 13 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 2.35% |
| 14 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 2.23% |
| 15 | Front lamp not working | 2.22% |
| 16 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 2.09% |
| 17 | Ball joint dust cover split | 1.99% |
| 18 | Headlamp fault | 1.98% |
| 19 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 1.87% |
| 20 | Brake pads or linings worn | 1.77% |
| 21 | Position lamp not working | 1.76% |
| 22 | Indicator fault | 1.75% |
| 23 | Rear lamp not working | 1.55% |
| 24 | Rear suspension fault | 1.48% |
| 25 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.41% |
| 26 | Track rod end worn | 1.40% |
| 27 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.21% |
| 28 | Parking brake condition | 0.93% |
| 29 | ABS fault | 0.83% |
| 30 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 0.74% |
| 31 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.53% |
| 32 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.51% |
| 33 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.49% |
| 34 | Airbag warning light on | 0.47% |
| 35 | Fog lamp not working | 0.43% |
| 36 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.39% |
| 37 | Steering rack fault | 0.37% |
| 38 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.36% |
| 39 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.35% |
| 40 | Front suspension fault | 0.34% |
| 41 | Seat belt condition | 0.33% |
| 42 | Horn not working | 0.33% |
| 43 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.30% |
| 44 | Brake lever fault | 0.29% |
| 45 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.25% |
| 46 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.23% |
| 47 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.23% |
| 48 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.21% |
| 49 | Brake pedal movement restricted | 0.20% |
| 50 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.19% |
| 51 | Chassis condition | 0.18% |
| 52 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.18% |
| 53 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.17% |
| 54 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.16% |
| 55 | Bonded suspension condition | 0.12% |
| 56 | Vehicle structure corrosion | 0.11% |
| 57 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.11% |
| 58 | Subframe mounting corroded | 0.10% |
| 59 | Brake fluid leak | 0.10% |
| 60 | Exhaust emissions above threshold (non-catalyst) | 0.08% |
| 61 | Brake pedal fault | 0.08% |
| 62 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.08% |
| 63 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.08% |
| 64 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.07% |
| 65 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.07% |
| 66 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.06% |
| 67 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.06% |
| 68 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.06% |
| 69 | Front passenger door fault | 0.06% |
| 70 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.06% |
| 71 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.06% |
| 72 | Handbrake cable fault | 0.05% |
| 73 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.05% |
| 74 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.05% |
| 75 | Steering column fault | 0.05% |
| 76 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.05% |
| 77 | Brake caliper fault | 0.05% |
| 78 | Propshaft fault | 0.05% |
| 79 | Steering arm worn | 0.05% |
| 80 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.05% |
| 81 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.04% |
| 82 | Engine oil leak | 0.04% |
| 83 | Electrical switch fault | 0.04% |
| 84 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.04% |
| 85 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | 0.04% |
| 86 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 87 | Steering free play excessive | 0.04% |
| 88 | Electric power steering fault | 0.04% |
| 89 | Brake wheel cylinder fault | 0.04% |
| 90 | Steering operation fault | 0.03% |
| 91 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | 0.03% |
| 92 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.03% |
| 93 | Driver airbag fault | 0.03% |
| 94 | Drag link end worn | 0.03% |
| 95 | CV joint worn | 0.03% |
| 96 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.02% |
| 97 | Driver seat fault | 0.02% |
| 98 | Body security fault | 0.02% |
| 99 | Spring mounting corroded | 0.02% |
| 100 | Brake fluid warning light on | 0.02% |
| 101 | Passenger seat fault | 0.02% |
| 102 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.02% |
| 103 | Suspension unit fault | 0.02% |
| 104 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.02% |
| 105 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | 0.01% |
| 106 | Steering lock fault | 0.01% |
| 107 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.01% |
| 108 | Brake servo fault | 0.01% |
| 109 | Driver door fault | 0.01% |
| 110 | Brake valve fault | 0.01% |
| 111 | Power steering ram fault | 0.01% |
| 112 | Indicator warning light fault | 0.01% |
| 113 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 114 | Exhaust leak | <0.01% |
| 115 | Engine mounting worn or broken | <0.01% |
| 116 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 117 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 118 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 119 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 120 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 121 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 122 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 124 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Handbrake mechanism or mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 128 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 129 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 130 | Brake master cylinder or servo mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 131 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 132 | Window damaged or won't operate | <0.01% |
| 133 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 138 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 139 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Headlamp washer not working | <0.01% |
| 141 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 142 | Electronic braking system fault | <0.01% |
| 143 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 144 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 145 | Front fog lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 146 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 147 | Axle beam corroded or cracked | <0.01% |
| 148 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 149 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 150 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 151 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 152 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 155 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 156 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 157 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 159 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 161 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 162 | Stub axle worn | <0.01% |
| 163 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 164 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 165 | Electronic parking brake fault | <0.01% |
| 166 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 167 | Brake relay lever fault | <0.01% |
| 168 | Brake linkage mounting fault | <0.01% |
| 169 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 170 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 171 | Torsion bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 172 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 173 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 174 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 175 | Air brake cylinder or actuator fault | <0.01% |
| 176 | Loading door damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 177 | Brake pedal linkage fault | <0.01% |
| 178 | Suspension coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 179 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 180 | Steering lock stop fault | <0.01% |
| 181 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 182 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 183 | Brake slack adjuster fault | <0.01% |
| 184 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 185 | Brake clevis joint worn | <0.01% |
| 186 | Seat belt load limiter fault | <0.01% |
| 187 | Torque or reaction arm worn | <0.01% |
| 188 | Brake stationary pin worn | <0.01% |
| 189 | Hinged tailboard damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 190 | Hydraulic suspension accumulator fault | <0.01% |
| 191 | Dropside damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 192 | Panhard rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 193 | Steering head bearings worn | <0.01% |
| 194 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 195 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 196 | Cab corrosion or damage | <0.01% |
| 197 | Passenger hand grip fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 197 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Volkswagen Polo MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Volkswagen Polo, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Volkswagen Polo problems?
Based on analysis of 10.1M Volkswagen Polo MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 15 identified common problems across 6 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Spark ignition emissions above threshold". Suspension is the most common problem category.
Which Volkswagen Polo generation has the most problems?
The Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (2002-2009) (2002–2009) has the highest number of identified common problems (15). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Volkswagen Polo?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Volkswagen Polo owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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