2019 Volkswagen Caddy — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 48,750 MOT tests, the 2019 Volkswagen Caddy recorded an 86.9% pass rate. Vans of a similar age fail 15.2% of the time, so this is 2.1pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.8%) and lighting & signalling (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, malfunction indicator lamp and tread depth — headlamp aim alone was recorded 1,347 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.8% in the 0-30k band and 18.6% in the 150k+ band, a 9.8-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.3% fail against 13.3% for diesel, a 3.0-point gap across 48,750 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.8% | 2,824 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 2,581 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.6% | 1,743 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.0% | 1,442 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 1,417 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.0% | 990 |
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 | 1,347 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,328 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,176 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 1,166 |
| 5 | Washers | 1,019 |
| 6 | Pins and bushes | 934 |
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 | 22.7% | 11,084 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.9% | 7,244 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.7% | 2,794 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.7% | 2,782 |
| 5 | Suspension | 5.1% | 2,476 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 1,684 |
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 | 11,819 | 8.8% |
| 30-60k | 18,151 | 13.0% |
| 60-90k | 10,903 | 14.9% |
| 90-120k | 4,975 | 17.2% |
| 120-150k | 1,856 | 17.4% |
| 150k+ | 1,044 | 18.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 46,130 | 13.3% |
| Petrol | 2,620 | 10.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 447 | 8.7% |
| 2022 | 11,933 | 11.3% |
| 2023 | 12,131 | 13.2% |
| 2024 | 12,231 | 14.3% |
| 2025 | 12,008 | 13.8% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Caddy
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.8% of tests. Start there.
- 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.
- Lighting & signalling (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.6% 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 2019 Volkswagen Caddys pass their MOT?
86.9% of the 48,750 2019 Volkswagen Caddy MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Volkswagen Caddy?
Tyres, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.3%).
Does the 2019 Caddy get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.8% in the 0-30k band to 18.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 48,750 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.