Volkswagen Bora common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 4,358 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Bora in Great Britain, and 60.7% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Volkswagen Bora at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 4,358
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 60.7%
Failed at firstIncluding 8.0% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 39.3%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 8.6%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 6,630 off the road (SORN): 3,824

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Bora fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
19.8%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
14.1%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Brakes
12.4%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
4Body, chassis and structure
11.1%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
5Steering
7.3%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
6.6%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Tyres
5.2%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
8Visibility
4.6%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
9Seat belts and airbags
2.5%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.6%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Brake performanceBrakes7.0%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks6.4%
Position lampsLamps and electrics6.2%
Suspension armsSuspension6.1%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics5.6%
TransmissionBody and structure5.3%
Steering linkage componentsSteering4.6%
Stop lampLamps and electrics4.2%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2005	1,144	61.5%	7.5%
2004	827	61.8%	7.9%
2003	782	61.6%	9.3%
2002	642	60.4%	9.5%
2001	404	60.9%	9.4%
2000	274	56.2%	9.5%

Mileage

Bora mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
19 years	135,500 miles	757
20 years	133,700 miles	926
21 years	137,000 miles	778
22 years	145,000 miles	718
23 years	133,700 miles	541
24 years	134,000 miles	324

Checking a particular Bora?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Volkswagen Bora: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Volkswagen Bora?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Volkswagen Bora was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 19.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (14.1%) and brakes (12.4%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Bora?

60.7% of 4,358 initial MOT tests on the Volkswagen Bora in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 8.0% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Volkswagen Bora is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 8.6% of initial tests on the Volkswagen Bora found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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