2015 Porsche Cayenne — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 13,098 MOT tests, the 2015 Porsche Cayenne recorded a 90.1% pass rate. Against large SUVs of a similar age (13.7% fail rate), the 2015 Cayenne comes out 3.8pp better. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.8%) and lighting & signalling (2.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, tread depth and malfunction indicator lamp — coil spring alone was recorded 277 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.3% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 13.0% once past 150k — 2.1× the risk.
Split by fuel, hybrid examples fail 2.3pp more often than petrol ones (10.3% vs 8.0%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 18.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 9.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.8% | 631 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.3% | 296 |
| 3 | Visibility | 2.1% | 268 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 235 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.8% | 233 |
| 6 | Brakes | 1.4% | 189 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 277 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 234 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 214 |
| 4 | Wipers | 198 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 189 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 182 |
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 | 18.6% | 2,435 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.1% | 1,846 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.6% | 739 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 379 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.6% | 342 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 202 |
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 | 655 | 6.3% |
| 30-60k | 4,180 | 8.4% |
| 60-90k | 5,366 | 10.3% |
| 90-120k | 2,260 | 12.1% |
| 120-150k | 499 | 12.0% |
| 150k+ | 138 | 13.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 9,830 | 10.1% |
| Hybrid | 1,666 | 10.3% |
| Petrol | 1,597 | 8.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,696 | 9.1% |
| 2022 | 2,634 | 9.8% |
| 2023 | 2,623 | 9.7% |
| 2024 | 2,584 | 9.9% |
| 2025 | 2,561 | 11.0% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Cayenne
On a 2015 Cayenne, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.8% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.8% 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 (2.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (2.1% 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 2015 Porsche Cayennes pass their MOT?
90.1% of the 13,098 2015 Porsche Cayenne MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Porsche Cayenne?
Tyres, recorded in 4.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.3%).
Does the 2015 Cayenne get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.3% in the 0-30k band to 13.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 13,098 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.