Volkswagen Bora MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Volkswagen Bora MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Volkswagen Bora passed on its first attempt in 67.1%, and its overall record sits −7.0 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Bora in the 2023–2025 data: 20,051 tests across 7 model years (2000–2006). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Volkswagen Bora MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Volkswagen Bora, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Volkswagen Bora's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Volkswagen Bora DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Bora, each with how many of the model's 20,051 tests it was noted on.

• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 1,654 Volkswagen Bora tests, 8.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 1,115 Volkswagen Bora tests, 5.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 1,040 Volkswagen Bora tests, 5.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 826 Volkswagen Bora tests, 4.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 706 Volkswagen Bora tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 658 Volkswagen Bora tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Volkswagen Bora Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Volkswagen Bora model year on record is 2001 (76.3% across 1,816 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (71.2%). The gap between them is 5.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Volkswagen Bora reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 0.8 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Volkswagen Bora Owners

These checks follow this Volkswagen Bora's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Bora.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated,”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Bora. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Volkswagen Bora is most common

Across every Bora model year on record (2000–2006): 8,155 Volkswagen Bora cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 20,051 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 257 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Volkswagen Bora cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Volkswagen Bora MOT & Reliability