How reliable is the Volkswagen Bora compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Bora, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 60.7% across 4,358 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Bora?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 29.4% of all Volkswagen Bora tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen Bora usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 140,293 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Volkswagen Bora models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen Bora cars tested, 70% are diesel, 29% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen Bora MOT pass rate & common failures

From 4,358 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen Bora, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 4,358 MOT tests, 60.7% of Volkswagen Bora tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen Bora fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, which appears in 19.0% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 140,293 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

60.7%unadjusted, not comparable4,358 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Bora. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 4,358 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen Bora tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc19.0%
259 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
2.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements17.6%
240 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning15.4%
210 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn13.6%
185 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
5.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement10.9%
149 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened10.3%
140 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired9.5%
130 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.2%
126 occurrencesSteering rack gaiter split, damaged or missing explained
9.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.4%
114 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
10.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded8.0%
109 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen Bora tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded29.4%
1,281 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.3%
1,058 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured23.9%
1,041 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users15.4%
672 tests
5.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.5%
634 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.5%
634 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged12.5%
544 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.Exhaust system leaking or insecure9.1%
396 testsExhaust leaking or insecure explained

What gets tested

The Bora fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 140,293
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel70.5%
Petrol29.5%

Check a specific Volkswagen Bora

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Tiguan — 77.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volkswagen Bora compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Bora, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 60.7% across 4,358 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Bora?: The item recorded most often is "A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc", which appears in 19.0% of failed Volkswagen Bora tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Bora?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 29.4% of all Volkswagen Bora tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen Bora usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 140,293 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Volkswagen Bora models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen Bora cars tested, 70% are diesel, 29% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.