Volkswagen Bora, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
3,825 Volkswagen Boras are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 60.7% of initial MOT tests, 11.6 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Bora? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volkswagen Bora at the MOT
60.7% of 4,358 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Bora 485th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Boras fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volkswagen Bora tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (5.2%), headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.7%) and joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (4.6%).
The MOT page lists every common Bora MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Bora's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.26.5% of Bora failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.17.4% of Bora failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.17.1% of Bora failure items
Volkswagen Boras in the UK
3,825 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 90% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −90%from 37,540 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2004half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2004 or earlier
- Declared off the road
- 6,63063% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volkswagen Boras since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 37,540 |
| End of 2015 | 32,959 |
| End of 2016 | 28,529 |
| End of 2017 | 23,590 |
| End of 2018 | 19,175 |
| End of 2019 | 15,242 |
| End of 2020 | 12,214 |
| End of 2021 | 9,697 |
| End of 2022 | 8,017 |
| End of 2023 | 6,389 |
| End of 2024 | 5,144 |
| End of 2025 | 4,153 |
| End of June 2026 | 3,825 |
How old they are
Licensed Volkswagen Boras by year of first use.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2006 | 166 |
| 2005 | 1,064 |
| 2004 | 754 |
| 2003 | 704 |
| 2002 | 597 |
| 2001 | 341 |
| 2000 | 220 |
| 1999 | 112 |
Bora engines and fuel
1.9 litre engines made up 70% of Volkswagen Bora MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 15%. Diesel accounts for 73% of licensed Boras and petrol for 26%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 4,355 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Boras
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,013 | 26% |
| Diesel | 2,811 | 73% |
| Gas | 1 | <0.1% |
Volkswagen Bora recalls
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Bora. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Bora is affected.
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Jan 2019 R/2019/019
Driver airbag generator housing could come loose
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Increased humidity may have got into the propellant of the gas generator for the drivers air bag.
- Remedy
- The gas generator of the front airbag on the driver side is replaced.
-
Mar 2005 R/2004/211
Bolts of the tandem fuel pump cover may break
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It is advised that on some vehicles fitted with a 3 and 4 cylinder pump injector engine the bolts of the tandem fuel pump cover may break due to a bolt production fault. As a result the pump housing will not be tight and a diesel fuel leak may occur.
- Remedy
- Recalled vehicles will have the pump checked for being of a certain manufacture. If found to be within the affected range the pump housing cover bolts will be replaced.
-
Mar 2003 R/2003/014
Brake servo vacuum pipe may crack and leak
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The brake servo vacuum supply pipe may crack and leak. This could result in a loss of power assistance and require the driver to apply a lot more force to the brake pedal.
- Remedy
- Examine the condition of the vacuum supply pipe and fit an improved quality replacement where necessary.
-
May 2002 R/2002/030
Anti lock brake control unit concern
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a risk that an electrical fault in the anti lock brake control unit (ABS) can cause overheating of related electrical components. This may lead to fire damage and cause the service brake to revert to a non-anti lock mode of operation.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles to check the part number and supplier code of the ABS control unit. Renew the ABS control unit where found necessary.
-
Dec 2001 R/2001/140
Risk of failure of rear axle transverse link
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Moisture can enter the rear axle ball joints this moisture can start corrosion of the joints ultimately causing the joints to seize.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles for replacement of ball joints and transverse links.
-
Feb 2001 R/2001/011
Passenger airbag concern
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The passenger airbag may not release correctly because of a leak in the pressure reservoir of the gas generator.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and replace the front passenger airbag.
Other Volkswagen models
The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, against the Bora's 60.7% MOT pass rate.
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen Bora FAQs
How many Volkswagen Boras are there in the UK?
3,825 Volkswagen Boras were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 6,630 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volkswagen Bora reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 60.7% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen Bora across 4,358 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Volkswagen Bora had any recalls?
6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Volkswagen Bora. The most recent was published in January 2019. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen Bora?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and suspension. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Volkswagen Bora's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Bora?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Volkswagen history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volkswagen VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.