Ford Motor Caravan MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 40 model years and 1,045 tests, the Ford Motor Caravan passes its MOT 79.3% of the time. That is 4.3 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 13.7% of all tests — 5.1 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and stop lamp — wipers alone was recorded 51 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.0% versus 13.1%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 31.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Motor Caravan model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 55 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2005 | 90 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 83 | 79.5% | 20.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 129 | 79.8% | 20.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 134 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 71 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Brakes |
| 2010 | 58 | 93.1% | 6.9% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 51 | 84.3% | 15.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 66 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 38 | 79.0% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.7% | 143 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.6% | 90 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.1% | 64 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.0% | 52 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.0% | 52 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.1% | 32 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.9% | 20 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.3% | 14 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 51 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 43 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 40 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 37 |
| 5 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 35 |
| 6 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 33 |
| 7 | Outline marker lamp | 32 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 32 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 31.8% | 332 |
| 2 | Suspension | 21.1% | 221 |
| 3 | Tyres | 13.3% | 139 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 12.9% | 135 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.0% | 104 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 9.4% | 98 |
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 | 145 | 13.1% |
| 30-60k | 416 | 16.4% |
| 60-90k | 213 | 25.8% |
| 90-120k | 121 | 26.5% |
| 120-150k | 74 | 28.4% |
| 150k+ | 62 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 881 | 20.0% |
| Petrol | 164 | 24.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 219 | 21.5% |
| 2022 | 212 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 205 | 20.5% |
| 2024 | 206 | 21.8% |
| 2025 | 203 | 20.7% |
What to check before buying a Ford Motor Caravan
- Lighting & signalling (13.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.6% 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.
- Suspension (6.1% 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.
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 Ford Motor Caravan?
79.3% of the 1,045 Ford Motor Caravan MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.7% fail rate, across model years 1982–2021.
What does the Ford Motor Caravan most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.7% of tests, then brakes (8.6%).
How much does mileage affect Motor Caravan MOT results?
Fail rates run at 13.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.0% for 150k+, a 15.9-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,045 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.