MOT comparison

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 vs Ford Fiesta Mk6

How the Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (9N/9N3) (2001–2009) and the Ford Fiesta Mk6 (2002–2008) do at their MOTs, compared at the same mileage so a high-mileage car is never measured against a low-mileage one.

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (9N/9N3)

4,320,655

MOT tests compared · built 2001–2009

Passes more often in 0 of 16 mileage bands

Ford Fiesta Mk6

8,720,515

MOT tests compared · built 2002–2008

Passes more often in 15 of 16 mileage bands

MOT pass rate by mileage

Share of MOTs passed first time, at the mileage recorded at the test.

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 Ford Fiesta Mk6

Under 10,000 miles 91.1% vs 91.2%

68,682 and 125,659 MOTs

10,000–20,000 miles 87.1% vs 88.7%

273,394 and 522,168 MOTs

20,000–30,000 miles 81.4% vs 83.7%

421,330 and 848,566 MOTs

30,000–40,000 miles 75.0% vs 78.5%

465,971 and 954,674 MOTs

40,000–50,000 miles 68.5% vs 73.1%

464,226 and 955,553 MOTs

50,000–60,000 miles 62.8% vs 68.0%

446,460 and 920,883 MOTs

60,000–70,000 miles 57.9% vs 63.6%

417,801 and 865,255 MOTs

70,000–80,000 miles 53.9% vs 59.4%

381,065 and 790,466 MOTs

80,000–90,000 miles 50.6% vs 55.8%

335,179 and 692,142 MOTs

90,000–100,000 miles 47.9% vs 53.0%

281,957 and 577,790 MOTs

100,000–125,000 miles 45.1% vs 50.1%

460,747 and 919,910 MOTs

125,000–150,000 miles 43.3% vs 47.9%

199,628 and 371,919 MOTs

150,000–175,000 miles 42.8% vs 47.5%

70,667 and 121,182 MOTs

175,000–200,000 miles 43.0% vs 48.0%

22,761 and 36,619 MOTs

200,000–250,000 miles 44.9% vs 49.2%

9,545 and 15,408 MOTs

250,000–300,000 miles 46.1% vs 53.7%

1,242 and 2,321 MOTs

Parts that fail more often

Only differences that hold across at least half of the mileage bands we could compare, and that are far too large to be chance, are listed. How we decide

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 fails more often on

Front ball joint

Fails about 4 times as often as the Ford Fiesta Mk6: 5.1% of MOTs against 1.8%.

In 14 of 16 mileage bands · Suspension & Joints
Side repeater

Fails about 10 times as often as the Ford Fiesta Mk6: 1.5% of MOTs against 0.19%.

In 14 of 16 mileage bands
Headlamp aim

Fails about 3 times as often as the Ford Fiesta Mk6: 4.8% of MOTs against 1.7%.

In 13 of 16 mileage bands · Lights & Signals

Ford Fiesta Mk6 fails more often on

Windscreen wiper

Fails about twice as often as the Volkswagen Polo Mk4: 4.1% of MOTs against 2.0%.

In 15 of 16 mileage bands · Driver's View
Rear brake pipe

Fails over 20 times as often as the Volkswagen Polo Mk4: 3.4% of MOTs against 0.10%.

In 13 of 16 mileage bands · Braking System

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Check a car's MOT Compare the Volkswagen Polo Mk4 with another model

These are differences in real MOT results, not engineering verdicts. Owner mix differs between models (some are more often taxis, first cars or rural cars), which is why every figure compares cars at the same mileage. How we compare cars.

MOT records: DVSA MOT history, which contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See this the other way round.