2007 Dodge Caliber — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,742 MOT tests, the 2007 Dodge Caliber recorded a 65.0% pass rate. Small family cars of a similar age fail 26.7% of the time, so this is 8.3pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (22.9%) and lighting & signalling (22.4%) 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 341 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 15.8% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 34.0% once past 150k — 2.2× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 34.6% of the time against 35.6% for diesel.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 45.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 36.8% in 2021 to 32.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 22.9% | 627 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 22.4% | 615 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.3% | 228 |
| 4 | Tyres | 7.8% | 215 |
| 5 | Steering | 7.5% | 206 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.3% | 200 |
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 | 341 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 321 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 282 |
| 4 | Track rod end | 222 |
| 5 | Prescribed areas | 207 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 184 |
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 | 45.8% | 1,256 |
| 2 | Brakes | 32.0% | 878 |
| 3 | Tyres | 29.1% | 797 |
| 4 | Other defects | 24.4% | 669 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.4% | 312 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 11.3% | 309 |
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 | 57 | 15.8% |
| 30-60k | 219 | 28.3% |
| 60-90k | 887 | 35.6% |
| 90-120k | 975 | 36.8% |
| 120-150k | 450 | 35.8% |
| 150k+ | 153 | 34.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,678 | 34.6% |
| Diesel | 1,064 | 35.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,008 | 36.8% |
| 2022 | 669 | 33.5% |
| 2023 | 501 | 34.3% |
| 2024 | 343 | 35.6% |
| 2025 | 221 | 32.1% |
What to check before buying a 2007 Caliber
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 22.9% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (22.9% 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 (22.4% 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
How many 2007 Dodge Calibers pass their MOT?
65.0% of the 2,742 2007 Dodge Caliber MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 35.0% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2007 Dodge Caliber?
Suspension, recorded in 22.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (22.4%).
Does the 2007 Caliber get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 15.8% in the 0-30k band to 34.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,742 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.