2020 Porsche Cayenne — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Porsche Cayenne passed 93.9% of its 6,840 recorded MOT tests. That is 3.2 percentage points better than large SUVs of a similar age, which fail at 9.3%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
Tyres dominates the failure mix at 4.8% of all tests — 4.0 points clear of lighting & signalling, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, registration plates and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 61 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 10.7% versus 4.8%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 5.8% of the time against 6.5% for hybrid.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 17.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 10.8% in 2021 to 7.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.8% | 327 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 0.8% | 53 |
| 3 | Visibility | 0.5% | 36 |
| 4 | Brakes | 0.5% | 34 |
| 5 | Other defects | 0.5% | 34 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.2% | 11 |
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 | 61 |
| 2 | Registration plates | 60 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 49 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 32 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 24 |
| 6 | Wipers | 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 | 17.4% | 1,191 |
| 2 | Other defects | 6.6% | 448 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.7% | 391 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.1% | 146 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.1% | 76 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 0.4% | 30 |
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 | 3,152 | 4.8% |
| 30-60k | 3,190 | 6.9% |
| 60-90k | 433 | 8.8% |
| 90-120k | 56 | 10.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 3,487 | 5.8% |
| Hybrid | 3,350 | 6.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37 | 10.8% |
| 2022 | 93 | 4.3% |
| 2023 | 2,277 | 5.5% |
| 2024 | 2,214 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 2,219 | 7.4% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Cayenne
On a 2020 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 (0.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (0.5% 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 2020 Porsche Cayennes pass their MOT?
93.9% of the 6,840 2020 Porsche Cayenne MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Porsche Cayenne?
Tyres, recorded in 4.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (0.8%).
Does the 2020 Cayenne get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 4.8% in the 0-30k band to 10.7% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,840 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.