General Motors Cadillac MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 42 model years and 1,547 tests, the General Motors Cadillac passes its MOT 78.9% of the time. All cars of a similar age fail 26.2% of the time, so this is 5.0pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.1%) and brakes (8.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, malfunction indicator lamp and coil spring — headlamp aim alone was recorded 63 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 14.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.8% once past 150k.
The petrol cars hold up better: 18.9% fail against 25.7% for diesel, a 6.8-point gap across 1,546 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 30.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 23.7% in 2021 to 19.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cadillac model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 50 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2006 | 295 | 77.6% | 22.4% | Brakes |
| 2007 | 474 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 238 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 251 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 128 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.1% | 172 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.6% | 133 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.9% | 122 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.1% | 95 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.5% | 85 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.9% | 61 |
| 7 | Tyres | 3.9% | 60 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.8% | 27 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 63 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 62 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 53 |
| 4 | Washers | 51 |
| 5 | Position lamp | 50 |
| 6 | Wipers | 43 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 43 |
| 8 | Stop lamp | 42 |
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 | 30.5% | 472 |
| 2 | Suspension | 25.7% | 398 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.9% | 354 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 14.2% | 219 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.2% | 127 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 7.7% | 119 |
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 | 47 | 14.9% |
| 30-60k | 324 | 18.5% |
| 60-90k | 461 | 19.3% |
| 90-120k | 431 | 23.2% |
| 120-150k | 186 | 25.3% |
| 150k+ | 92 | 22.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,041 | 18.9% |
| Diesel | 505 | 25.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 401 | 23.7% |
| 2022 | 350 | 20.0% |
| 2023 | 311 | 19.3% |
| 2024 | 264 | 22.7% |
| 2025 | 221 | 19.0% |
What to check before buying a General Motors Cadillac
- Lighting & signalling (11.1% 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 (7.9% 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.
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 General Motors Cadillac?
78.9% of the 1,547 General Motors Cadillac MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2021.
What does the General Motors Cadillac most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.1% of tests, then brakes (8.6%).
How much does mileage affect Cadillac MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.8% for 150k+, a 7.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Cadillac more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 18.9% of the time against 25.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,547 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.