2007 General Motors Cadillac — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2007 General Motors Cadillac passed 79.3% of its 474 recorded MOT tests. That is 6.1 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.8%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.2%) and brakes (9.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, service brake performance and malfunction indicator lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 29 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 21.5% of 30-60k cars fail, rising to 10.8% once past 120-150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 32.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 25.2% in 2021 to 17.0% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.2% | 58 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.5% | 45 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 33 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 30 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.1% | 29 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.9% | 23 |
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 | 29 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 20 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 20 |
| 4 | Washers | 18 |
| 5 | Wipers | 17 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 15 |
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 | 32.3% | 153 |
| 2 | Suspension | 24.5% | 116 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.1% | 100 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 15.2% | 72 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 8.4% | 40 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 7.4% | 35 |
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 | 93 | 21.5% |
| 60-90k | 173 | 19.1% |
| 90-120k | 141 | 24.8% |
| 120-150k | 37 | 10.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 293 | 18.8% |
| Diesel | 181 | 23.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 135 | 25.2% |
| 2022 | 106 | 18.9% |
| 2023 | 95 | 20.0% |
| 2024 | 79 | 19.0% |
| 2025 | 59 | 17.0% |
What to check before buying a 2007 Cadillac
On a 2007 Cadillac, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 12.2% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (12.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.5% 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 (7.0% 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 2007 General Motors Cadillacs pass their MOT?
79.3% of the 474 2007 General Motors Cadillac MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 20.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2007 General Motors Cadillac?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.2% of tests, followed by brakes (9.5%).
Does the 2007 Cadillac get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 21.5% in the 30-60k band to 10.8% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 474 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.