Volkswagen Camper MOT pass rate & common failures
The Volkswagen Camper appears in 9,157 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2020, and 73.9% of them passed. That is 3.5 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 22.6%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 16.5% of all tests — 5.8 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp aim and service brake performance — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 593 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 23.3% in the 0-30k band and 30.7% in the 150k+ band, a 7.4-point spread.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.3pp more often than petrol ones (27.9% vs 25.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 27.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 27.7% in 2021 to 25.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Camper model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 269 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 204 | 68.6% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 394 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 426 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 245 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 268 | 66.4% | 33.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 326 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 316 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 222 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 570 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 687 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 368 | 76.1% | 23.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 84 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Brakes |
| 1993 | 79 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 70 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 85 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 85 | 76.5% | 23.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 96 | 81.3% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 65 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 93 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 85 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 116 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 139 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 219 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 209 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 280 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 469 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 473 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 448 | 74.6% | 25.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 300 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 369 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 284 | 80.3% | 19.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 309 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 218 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 100 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 93 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 59 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Brakes |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.5% | 1,515 |
| 2 | Brakes | 10.7% | 981 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.3% | 762 |
| 4 | Visibility | 7.6% | 693 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.8% | 621 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 434 |
| 7 | Steering | 4.0% | 371 |
| 8 | Tyres | 2.7% | 249 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 593 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 540 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 499 |
| 4 | Washers | 453 |
| 5 | Wipers | 423 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 394 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 358 |
| 8 | Rbt (sp) | 327 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 27.5% | 2,514 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.1% | 2,020 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 15.4% | 1,408 |
| 4 | Tyres | 13.8% | 1,262 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.7% | 1,159 |
| 6 | Steering | 8.2% | 748 |
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 | 1,703 | 23.3% |
| 30-60k | 1,995 | 24.6% |
| 60-90k | 1,907 | 25.5% |
| 90-120k | 1,365 | 26.0% |
| 120-150k | 775 | 28.8% |
| 150k+ | 1,396 | 30.7% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 7,107 | 25.5% |
| Diesel | 2,008 | 27.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,320 | 27.7% |
| 2022 | 2,036 | 26.6% |
| 2023 | 1,811 | 25.0% |
| 2024 | 1,583 | 25.1% |
| 2025 | 1,407 | 25.2% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Camper
- Lighting & signalling (16.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.7% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Suspension (8.3% 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.
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 Camper?
73.9% of the 9,157 Volkswagen Camper MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 26.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2020.
What does the Volkswagen Camper most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.5% of tests, then brakes (10.7%).
How much does mileage affect Camper MOT results?
Fail rates run at 23.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.7% for 150k+, a 7.4-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Camper more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.5% of the time against 27.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 9,157 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.