2018 Volkswagen Polo 1.2L Petrol · LP67 BHW

The 2018 Volkswagen Polo presents a stable and improving maintenance trend, culminating in a clean pass on 3 September 2025 at 12,371 miles with zero advisories. The record shows a clear shift from recurring tyre defects in 2022 and 2023 to a fully compliant state by late 2025, suggesting the previous owner addressed the perishing issue across all four wheels rather than simply replacing individual tyres reactively. The only note on the most recent certificate concerns an under tray fitted at the time of test, which prevented inspection of the inner CV gaiters. This is a common fitment on modern hatchbacks to reduce road noise, but it does mean the drivetrain boots have not been visually verified by the tester. The mileage profile is exceptionally low for an eight-year-old vehicle. Between the first recorded test on 6 December 2022 at 10,456 miles and the most recent on 3 September 2025 at 12,371 miles, the car covered just 1,915 miles over a period of nearly three years. That equates to roughly 650 miles per annum in the most recent phase, down from an average of about 1,060 miles per year between 2022 and late 2024. Such minimal use raises the possibility of long stationary periods, which is consistent with the pattern of tyre sidewall perishing seen in the 2022 and 2023 tests. Rubber components, including tyres, bushes, and seals, deteriorate with age and ozone exposure as much as with mileage, and a car that sits unused for extended periods can develop flat-spotted tyres and dried-out elastomers even while the odometer barely moves. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on areas the MOT record cannot fully verify. The inner CV gaiters remain uninspected due to the under tray, so a ramp or jack inspection is essential to check for split boots and grease contamination around both inner and outer joints. The tyre history warrants close scrutiny of the current tyres' date codes; if the same set from the 2025 test is still fitted, they will be approaching two years old by now, and any signs of renewed sidewall cracking or perishing would indicate poor storage conditions or a substandard replacement brand. Suspension bushes and coil springs deserve attention given the low-mileage but age-related degradation pattern, particularly if the car has spent periods on uneven surfaces or driveways while stationary. Brake discs and calipers should be checked for surface corrosion and binding, as infrequent use commonly causes disc scoring and caliper seizure on vehicles of this age and mileage profile.