Porsche Cayenne MOT pass rate & common failures
152,695 MOT tests on the Porsche Cayenne (2002–2025) give it an 88.3% pass rate. Large SUVs of a similar age fail 16.0% of the time, so this is 4.3pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
Best and worst Cayenne years
Ranked across Cayenne years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2021 cars pass 94.7% of the time while 2004 cars manage 80.9%, a 13.7-point spread.
No single area dominates — tyres (4.7%) and lighting & signalling (4.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, coil spring and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 3,852 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 5.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 18.9% once past 150k — 3.3× the risk.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 4.2pp more often than hybrid ones (12.5% vs 8.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 19.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cayenne model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3,386 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 6,704 | 80.9% | 19.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 7,854 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 5,292 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 4,247 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 3,458 | 83.5% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 4,972 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 4,952 | 86.3% | 13.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 6,281 | 86.9% | 13.2% | Tyres |
| 2012 | 10,229 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 12,108 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Tyres |
| 2014 | 10,543 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Tyres |
| 2015 | 13,098 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 15,544 | 90.1% | 9.9% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 9,964 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 10,179 | 91.7% | 8.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 13,022 | 94.4% | 5.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 6,840 | 93.9% | 6.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 3,046 | 94.7% | 5.3% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 933 | 95.4% | 4.6% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 37 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.7% | 7,114 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.5% | 6,861 |
| 3 | Suspension | 2.6% | 3,927 |
| 4 | Brakes | 2.5% | 3,738 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.1% | 3,256 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.7% | 2,537 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 1,180 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 1,088 |
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 | 3,852 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 3,375 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 3,093 |
| 4 | Wipers | 2,088 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,044 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,850 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 1,774 |
| 8 | Washers | 1,564 |
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 | 19.8% | 30,210 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.3% | 23,316 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 10,730 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.9% | 10,569 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.7% | 7,209 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.4% | 6,743 |
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 | 18,380 | 5.7% |
| 30-60k | 39,778 | 8.2% |
| 60-90k | 38,801 | 12.0% |
| 90-120k | 30,513 | 14.7% |
| 120-150k | 17,061 | 16.8% |
| 150k+ | 8,124 | 18.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 70,544 | 11.8% |
| Petrol | 65,717 | 12.5% |
| Hybrid | 16,132 | 8.3% |
| Other | 190 | 9.5% |
| Electric | 77 | 13.0% |
| Gas/LPG | 35 | 17.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27,268 | 12.2% |
| 2022 | 29,811 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | 31,508 | 11.8% |
| 2024 | 32,113 | 11.8% |
| 2025 | 31,995 | 11.3% |
What to check before buying a Porsche Cayenne
- Tyres (4.7% 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 (4.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (2.6% 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 Porsche Cayenne?
88.3% of the 152,695 Porsche Cayenne MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.7% fail rate, across model years 2002–2025.
What does the Porsche Cayenne most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.7% of tests, then lighting & signalling (4.5%).
Which Cayenne years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 94.7% and 2004 the weakest at 80.9%, from 3,046 and 6,704 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Cayenne MOT results?
Fail rates run at 5.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.9% for 150k+, a 13.2-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Cayenne more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 8.3% of the time against 12.5% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 152,695 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.