Volkswagen Caddy MOT pass rate & common failures
893,905 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Caddy (1981–2025) give it a 79.7% pass rate. Vans of a similar age fail 22.9% of the time, so this is 2.6pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
Best and worst Caddy years
Ranked across Caddy 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: 2022 cars pass 88.8% of the time while 2001 cars manage 66.5%, a 22.3-point spread.
No single area dominates — suspension (9.6%) and lighting & signalling (8.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, headlamp aim and tread depth — pins and bushes alone was recorded 55,064 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 25.0% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.7% fail against 20.4% for diesel, a 7.8-point gap across 893,780 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Caddy model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 53 | 83.0% | 17.0% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1987 | 107 | 68.2% | 31.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 189 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 264 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 402 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 392 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 334 | 73.4% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 38 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 299 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 615 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 1,200 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 1,486 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 1,240 | 66.5% | 33.5% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 2,143 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 2,373 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 8,832 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 14,224 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 20,974 | 72.6% | 27.4% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 31,266 | 73.6% | 26.4% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 36,770 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 45,007 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 60,668 | 74.5% | 25.5% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 78,308 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 62,790 | 77.9% | 22.1% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 78,305 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 73,796 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 73,312 | 81.5% | 18.5% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 78,869 | 82.2% | 17.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 69,351 | 83.5% | 16.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 61,677 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 48,750 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 22,765 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 10,591 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 5,894 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 502 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 41 | 95.1% | 4.9% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.6% | 86,024 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.6% | 76,948 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.1% | 54,291 |
| 4 | Brakes | 5.8% | 51,869 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.3% | 47,560 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 29,393 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.1% | 28,033 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.8% | 7,149 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 55,064 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 32,606 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 30,789 |
| 4 | Washers | 29,928 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 21,925 |
| 6 | Wipers | 20,447 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 19,133 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 18,647 |
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 | 26.5% | 236,511 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.9% | 195,609 |
| 3 | Suspension | 21.0% | 187,915 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.0% | 80,375 |
| 5 | Visibility | 8.6% | 77,052 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 7.5% | 66,865 |
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 | 57,402 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 142,928 | 14.6% |
| 60-90k | 175,905 | 18.6% |
| 90-120k | 176,567 | 21.7% |
| 120-150k | 148,468 | 23.9% |
| 150k+ | 192,255 | 25.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 877,139 | 20.4% |
| Petrol | 16,641 | 12.7% |
| Gas/LPG | 117 | 12.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 166,855 | 19.7% |
| 2022 | 176,878 | 19.6% |
| 2023 | 182,664 | 20.5% |
| 2024 | 183,729 | 20.9% |
| 2025 | 183,779 | 20.9% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Caddy
- Suspension (9.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (8.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.1% 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.
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 Volkswagen Caddy?
79.7% of the 893,905 Volkswagen Caddy MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 20.3% fail rate, across model years 1981–2025.
What does the Volkswagen Caddy most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 9.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (8.6%).
Which Caddy years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 88.8% and 2001 the weakest at 66.5%, from 5,894 and 1,240 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Caddy MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.0% for 150k+, a 14.8-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Caddy more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 12.7% of the time against 20.4% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 893,905 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.