2016 Porsche Boxster — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 6,448 MOT tests, the 2016 Porsche Boxster recorded a 94.9% pass rate. Against coupes & convertibles of a similar age (10.8% fail rate), the 2016 Boxster comes out 5.7pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (3.6%) and lighting & signalling (1.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and wipers — tread depth alone was recorded 145 times.
A 60-90k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 10.9% versus 3.9%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 14.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 3.6% | 230 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 76 |
| 3 | Visibility | 0.8% | 51 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 0.4% | 25 |
| 5 | Brakes | 0.3% | 21 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.3% | 21 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 145 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 64 |
| 3 | Wipers | 33 |
| 4 | Registration plates | 33 |
| 5 | Washers | 26 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 23 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 14.9% | 962 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.6% | 297 |
| 3 | Other defects | 2.3% | 148 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.9% | 122 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 110 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 36 |
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 | 3,881 | 3.9% |
| 30-60k | 2,280 | 6.4% |
| 60-90k | 274 | 10.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,302 | 4.4% |
| 2022 | 1,315 | 5.1% |
| 2023 | 1,297 | 5.9% |
| 2024 | 1,266 | 6.0% |
| 2025 | 1,268 | 4.1% |
What to check before buying a 2016 Boxster
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 3.6% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (3.6% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Lighting & signalling (1.2% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (0.8% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
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 2016 Porsche Boxsters pass their MOT?
94.9% of the 6,448 2016 Porsche Boxster MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 5.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2016 Porsche Boxster?
Tyres, recorded in 3.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (1.2%).
Does the 2016 Boxster get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 3.9% in the 0-30k band to 10.9% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,448 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.