2017 Volkswagen Caddy — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2017 Volkswagen Caddy passed 83.5% of its 69,351 recorded MOT tests. Against vans of a similar age (17.8% fail rate), the 2017 Caddy comes out 1.3pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.5%) and tyres (5.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are malfunction indicator lamp, pins and bushes and headlamp aim — malfunction indicator lamp alone was recorded 3,269 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.4% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 19.3% once past 150k.
The petrol cars hold up better: 12.6% fail against 16.6% for diesel, a 4.1-point gap across 69,351 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 24.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 5,219 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.8% | 3,999 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 5.0% | 3,435 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.3% | 2,984 |
| 5 | Suspension | 4.0% | 2,798 |
| 6 | Brakes | 4.0% | 2,779 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 3,269 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 2,543 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 2,301 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 1,950 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 1,887 |
| 6 | Wipers | 1,705 |
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 | 24.0% | 16,669 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.0% | 13,148 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.2% | 7,048 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.2% | 4,270 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.1% | 4,258 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 6.0% | 4,179 |
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 | 8,225 | 12.4% |
| 30-60k | 23,724 | 16.1% |
| 60-90k | 19,231 | 17.4% |
| 90-120k | 10,128 | 17.5% |
| 120-150k | 4,689 | 17.8% |
| 150k+ | 3,347 | 19.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 67,102 | 16.6% |
| Petrol | 2,249 | 12.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,842 | 14.9% |
| 2022 | 13,614 | 15.1% |
| 2023 | 13,905 | 16.6% |
| 2024 | 14,029 | 17.3% |
| 2025 | 13,961 | 18.4% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Caddy
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 7.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.8% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (5.0% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 2017 Volkswagen Caddys pass their MOT?
83.5% of the 69,351 2017 Volkswagen Caddy MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 16.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Volkswagen Caddy?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.5% of tests, followed by tyres (5.8%).
Does the 2017 Caddy get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 12.4% in the 0-30k band to 19.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 69,351 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.