UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen Polo cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 684,732 licensed and 53,006 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Polo generic-model group.

Looking at a Polo?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Polo is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Polo disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 686,247 in 2025 Q1 and stand at 684,732 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 2% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 53,006 are declared SORN — 1 in 14 of the 737,738 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Polo MOT pass rate

In 2024, 65.5% of 543,572 Volkswagen Polo MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 84.7% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 50.6% aged 15–30 years.

  • Brake Performance — 5.7% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.4% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of tests. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.1% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volkswagen Polo MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Brake Performance — 5.7% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Headlamp Aim — 5.4% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Exhaust Emissions — 4.9% of tests in 2024. The car exceeded its emissions limits. Can be a sensor or a service, but on a diesel it can also mean an expensive filter or catalyst.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.1% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Check the actual Polo — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q1684,73253,006
2025 Q4685,31451,837
2025 Q3685,49450,763
2025 Q2686,24249,841
2025 Q1686,24749,598
2024 Q4685,96648,679
2024 Q3686,08647,788
2024 Q2684,61047,168
2024 Q1681,74347,205
2023 Q4681,61946,057
2023 Q3678,01444,352
2023 Q2677,77243,600
2023 Q1678,24043,578
2022 Q4680,75643,306
2022 Q3678,42342,422
2022 Q2676,41642,134
2022 Q1676,68942,865
2021 Q4679,69243,015
2021 Q3679,26742,745
2021 Q2678,19442,961
2021 Q1673,53143,790
2020 Q4676,36642,822
2020 Q3678,38341,534
2020 Q2674,20541,731
2020 Q1676,48241,591
2019 Q4681,66939,147
2019 Q3682,69738,163
2019 Q2683,84137,809
2019 Q1679,95637,146
2018 Q4677,19336,591
2018 Q3673,80135,504
2018 Q2669,69635,039
2018 Q1666,10135,357
2017 Q4666,07535,212
2017 Q3667,41534,111
2017 Q2664,14233,346
2017 Q1659,80232,875
2016 Q4654,39231,990
2016 Q3647,17130,287
2016 Q2640,66629,126
2016 Q1636,04628,740
2015 Q4629,47326,672
2015 Q3628,05824,697
2015 Q2621,41622,994
2015 Q1615,88321,687
2014 Q4608,21919,967
2014 Q3611,05518,277

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Polo cars are left in the UK?

684,732 were licensed and 53,006 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Polo cars are SORN?

53,006 are declared SORN — 1 in 14 of the 737,738 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Polo disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 686,247 in 2025 Q1 and stand at 684,732 in 2026 Q1, flat 0%. That is up 2% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 53,006 are declared SORN — 1 in 14 of the 737,738 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Volkswagen Polo MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 65.5% of 543,572 Volkswagen Polo MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Polo fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (5.7% of tests), headlamp aim (5.4% of tests), exhaust emissions (4.9% of tests).

Does this say whether one Polo is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.