4,165 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Bora reliability and MOT pass rate
68.8% passed first time. The 31.2% fail rate is 8.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 22 years old with 136,512 miles.
Pass rate
68.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 31.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
8.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
136,512 mi
22 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1 | — |
| 14+ years | 4,164 | 31.1% |
What the Bora fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment9 dangerous44.8%
- Suspension62 dangerous44.5%
- Brakes149 dangerous38.2%
- Body, chassis, structure11 dangerous34.4%
- Steering13 dangerous22.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6 dangerous18.3%
- Tyres203 dangerous15.6%
- Visibility3 dangerous10.5%
Is the Bora getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 31.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8,194 | 19 | 34.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 6,679 | 20 | 34% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 4,972 | 21 | 34.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 4,165 | 22 | 31.2% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Bora at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Bora in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt209 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working165 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn157 tests
- 4Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect144 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements141 tests
- 6Coil spring: fractured or broken119 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn106 tests
- 8Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt105 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Bora collects 3.78 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded815 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened678 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm661 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine641 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn610 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened422 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases374 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure366 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Bora MOT pass rate?
68.8% of the 4,165 Volkswagen Bora first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 31.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 8.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Bora usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 209 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 44.8% of failures, suspension appears in 44.5% of failures, brakes appears in 38.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 31.1%. The median Volkswagen Bora tested in 2025 was 22 years old with 136,512 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Bora getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.9 points to 31.2% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (-1.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Bora trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 6 safety recalls naming the Volkswagen Bora: Volkswagen Bora recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
Checking a particular Bora?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.