2006 General Motors Cadillac — MOT failures & pass rate
295 MOT tests on the 2006 General Motors Cadillac are in this dataset, and 77.6% of them passed. That is 4.9 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.2%. Failures cluster in brakes, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — brakes (10.8%) and lighting & signalling (9.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are malfunction indicator lamp, stop lamp and rbt (sp) — malfunction indicator lamp alone was recorded 17 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 20.9% of 30-60k cars fail, rising to 25.0% once past 120-150k.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 38.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 24.1% in 2021 to 13.3% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 10.8% | 32 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 29 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.8% | 26 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 8.1% | 24 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.8% | 17 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.8% | 14 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 17 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 16 |
| 3 | Rbt (sp) | 11 |
| 4 | Coil spring | 11 |
| 5 | Joints | 10 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 10 |
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 | 38.0% | 112 |
| 2 | Tyres | 31.2% | 92 |
| 3 | Suspension | 30.9% | 91 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 20.7% | 61 |
| 5 | Other defects | 14.2% | 42 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.8% | 32 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 43 | 20.9% |
| 60-90k | 76 | 23.7% |
| 90-120k | 86 | 18.6% |
| 120-150k | 64 | 25.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 156 | 19.2% |
| Diesel | 139 | 25.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87 | 24.1% |
| 2022 | 74 | 25.7% |
| 2023 | 55 | 14.5% |
| 2024 | 49 | 28.6% |
| 2025 | 30 | 13.3% |
What to check before buying a 2006 Cadillac
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: brakes accounted for 10.8% of tests. Start there.
- Brakes (10.8% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (9.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.8% 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
How many 2006 General Motors Cadillacs pass their MOT?
77.6% of the 295 2006 General Motors Cadillac MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 22.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2006 General Motors Cadillac?
Brakes, recorded in 10.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.8%).
Does the 2006 Cadillac get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 20.9% in the 30-60k band to 25.0% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 295 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.