2010 Volkswagen Polo 1.2L Petrol · FT60 FHJ

This Polo failed its most recent MOT on 19 May 2026 at 81,651 miles, and the maintenance trend is clearly worsening. What began as a pattern of minor exhaust and suspension advisories has escalated into a serious list of safety-critical defects. The tester flagged a fractured offside rear coil spring, structural corrosion affecting body rigidity, a loose exhaust heat shield, binding parking brake adjustment, and a nail in the offside rear tyre. Several of these items, particularly the broken spring and corroded structural seal, suggest the car has been left outside or poorly maintained rather than routinely serviced. The presence of multiple new failures at this test, against a backdrop of previously passed tests, indicates the condition has deteriorated sharply within the last twelve months. The mileage profile tells a story of very light use. At roughly 5,103 miles per year over sixteen years, this is well below the UK average. The records show a gap of about 8,121 miles between the May 2025 pass at 73,979 and the May 2026 failure at 81,651, which is consistent with low annual driving but not unusually so. However, low mileage alone does not protect a car from corrosion, perished rubber components, or seized mechanisms. The fractured coil spring and structural corrosion are typical of a vehicle that may have spent long periods stationary, allowing moisture to attack suspension mounts and underbody sections without the benefit of regular heat cycles and movement that help disperse condensation. A buyer inspecting this car in person should focus first on the offside structural area flagged as corroded to the point of reduced rigidity. Probe the sill, subframe mounting points, and floor pan carefully, as DVSA corrosion failures on structural seals are not advisory in the way surface rust might be. The broken offside rear coil spring needs immediate replacement, and the nearside rear unit should be examined closely given both rear springs were noted as corroded in the 2025 test. Check the exhaust flexi joint for cracking, as this fault has appeared consistently since at least May 2024 and remains unresolved. The parking brake lever's excessive movement points to either stretched cables or maladjusted rear brakes, so test the handbrake on a steep incline and inspect the rear calipers for binding. Both front inner tyres were worn unevenly on their inner edges at the last test, which strongly suggests tracking or suspension geometry issues that have not been addressed. Beyond the flagged items, examine the offside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint for play, verify the headlamp aim, and confirm the boot lid latches securely. The inoperative nearside registration plate lamp and non-functioning central rear seat belt are relatively straightforward fixes but indicate a pattern of small faults being left unresolved. Taken together, the record paints a picture of a low-mileage car that has suffered from neglect rather than heavy use. Any purchase decision should be contingent on a thorough underbody inspection by an independent garage and a realistic budget for suspension, exhaust, and corrosion repairs.