Renault Clio vs Volkswagen Polo

On MOT-testable defects, the Volkswagen Polo (fail rate 21.3%) performed better than the Renault Clio (27.8%) across comparable years. The biggest divergence was suspension, where the Clio recorded failures more often.

27.8%
Clio fail rate
21.3%
Polo fail rate
6.42pp
Difference

Side by side

MOT figures compared
MetricRenault ClioVolkswagen Polo
MOT tests analysed2,171,8553,797,015
Pass rate72.2%78.7%
Fail rate27.8%21.3%
Fail rate compared (lower is better) Renault Clio 27.8% Volkswagen Polo 21.3%
Overall MOT fail rate across comparable model years.

Where they differ

Failure-area share, by category
CategoryClioPolo
Suspension15.0%8.4%
Lighting & signalling14.9%10.9%
Visibility6.2%4.8%
Brakes7.9%6.8%
Tyres6.0%5.1%

Methodology & source. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.

See the full data