Volkswagen
Bora
11,137 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Boras pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 9.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
67.8%
Pass-after-fix
6.5%
Fail
24.8%
Avg miles
142,009
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered before September 2015 are typically pre-Euro 6 — subject to daily charges in London ULEZ (£12.50), Birmingham CAZ (£8), Bristol CAZ (£9), and Glasgow LEZ. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
The picture
Bora: a below-average pass rate worth digging into
Across 8,662 MOT tests, the Bora returns 66.4% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a split CV-joint boot. A defective headlamp lens and headlamp aim out of spec round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 138,408, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 12–32
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
12–32
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
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- 01
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
819 occurrences · 7.4% of tests
- 02
Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective
599 occurrences · 5.4% of tests
- 03
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
472 occurrences · 4.2% of tests
- 04
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
420 occurrences · 3.8% of tests
- 05
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
345 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 06
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
319 occurrences · 2.9% of tests
- 07
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
310 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
- 08
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
304 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 09
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
302 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
- 10
Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated
290 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures
£20–£160
If every one of this Bora's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
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Parts & supplies for this fix
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Buying or keeping a Bora?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Bora and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.