Dodge Caliber MOT pass rate & common failures
8,498 MOT tests on the Dodge Caliber (2006–2018) give it a 66.2% pass rate. That is 7.4 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.4%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Caliber years
Ranked across Caliber years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 68.4% of 2006 examples pass against 65.0% of 2007 ones.
No single area dominates — suspension (22.1%) and lighting & signalling (21.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, position lamp and ball joint — pins and bushes alone was recorded 1,123 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 33.3% versus 19.9%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.4pp more often than petrol ones (35.4% vs 33.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 47.9% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Caliber model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,955 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 2,742 | 65.0% | 35.0% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 2,692 | 66.3% | 33.7% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 1,100 | 65.0% | 35.0% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 22.1% | 1,877 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 21.3% | 1,810 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.3% | 709 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.3% | 622 |
| 5 | Steering | 6.8% | 580 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.7% | 566 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.6% | 560 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 6.3% | 533 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 1,123 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 894 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 851 |
| 4 | Prescribed areas | 629 |
| 5 | Track rod end | 595 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 545 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 479 |
| 8 | Shock absorbers | 456 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 47.9% | 4,070 |
| 2 | Brakes | 30.4% | 2,580 |
| 3 | Tyres | 27.9% | 2,368 |
| 4 | Other defects | 20.5% | 1,746 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.4% | 972 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 11.1% | 944 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 161 | 19.9% |
| 30-60k | 935 | 26.6% |
| 60-90k | 2,939 | 33.9% |
| 90-120k | 2,875 | 35.7% |
| 120-150k | 1,194 | 36.4% |
| 150k+ | 384 | 33.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 5,645 | 33.0% |
| Diesel | 2,853 | 35.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,851 | 34.7% |
| 2022 | 2,062 | 32.8% |
| 2023 | 1,619 | 33.3% |
| 2024 | 1,169 | 34.6% |
| 2025 | 797 | 33.3% |
What to check before buying a Dodge Caliber
- Suspension (22.1% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (21.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.3% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Dodge Caliber?
66.2% of the 8,498 Dodge Caliber MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 33.8% fail rate, across model years 2006–2018.
What does the Dodge Caliber most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 22.1% of tests, then lighting & signalling (21.3%).
Which Caliber years are best and worst for MOT results?
2006 has the best pass rate at 68.4% and 2007 the weakest at 65.0%, from 1,955 and 2,742 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Caliber MOT results?
Fail rates run at 19.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.3% for 150k+, a 13.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Caliber more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 33.0% of the time against 35.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 8,498 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.