Volkswagen Bora MOT pass rate & common failures
44,672 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Bora (1998–2021) give it a 73.5% pass rate. That is 1.3 percentage points better than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.9%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Bora years
Ranked across Bora years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2001 cars pass 74.8% of the time while 1999 cars manage 70.3%, a 4.5-point spread.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 16.9% of all tests — 5.0 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, position lamp and headlamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 3,690 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.4% versus 16.0%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 26.5% of the time against 26.6% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 40.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 27.2% in 2021 to 25.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Bora model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1,540 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,198 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 3,942 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 6,884 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 8,119 | 73.7% | 26.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 8,654 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 10,742 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 1,514 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.9% | 7,566 |
| 2 | Suspension | 11.9% | 5,312 |
| 3 | Brakes | 11.0% | 4,904 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.2% | 4,127 |
| 5 | Steering | 6.1% | 2,725 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.3% | 2,358 |
| 7 | Tyres | 4.5% | 2,030 |
| 8 | Visibility | 3.8% | 1,695 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 3,690 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,791 |
| 3 | Headlamp | 2,583 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 2,215 |
| 5 | Joints | 2,032 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 2,014 |
| 7 | Rbt (sp) | 1,828 |
| 8 | Coil spring | 1,644 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 40.1% | 17,891 |
| 2 | Suspension | 34.2% | 15,287 |
| 3 | Tyres | 26.1% | 11,679 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 20.4% | 9,097 |
| 5 | Other defects | 16.3% | 7,283 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 16.1% | 7,210 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 225 | 16.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,867 | 18.9% |
| 60-90k | 5,708 | 24.4% |
| 90-120k | 9,455 | 27.1% |
| 120-150k | 10,534 | 27.4% |
| 150k+ | 16,843 | 27.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 31,524 | 26.5% |
| Petrol | 13,142 | 26.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,151 | 27.2% |
| 2022 | 10,593 | 26.5% |
| 2023 | 8,584 | 26.6% |
| 2024 | 6,891 | 26.5% |
| 2025 | 5,453 | 25.1% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Bora
- Lighting & signalling (16.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (11.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (11.0% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Volkswagen Bora?
73.5% of the 44,672 Volkswagen Bora MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 26.6% fail rate, across model years 1998–2021.
What does the Volkswagen Bora most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.9% of tests, then suspension (11.9%).
Which Bora years are best and worst for MOT results?
2001 has the best pass rate at 74.8% and 1999 the weakest at 70.3%, from 3,942 and 1,540 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Bora MOT results?
Fail rates run at 16.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.4% for 150k+, a 11.4-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Bora more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 26.5% of the time against 26.6% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 44,672 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.