Volkswagen Caravelle MOT pass rate & common failures
The Volkswagen Caravelle appears in 112,863 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2022, and 75.5% of them passed. MPVs of a similar age fail at 24.8%, so the Caravelle sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Caravelle years
Ranked across Caravelle 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: 2019 cars pass 87.3% of the time while 1996 cars manage 66.1%, a 21.2-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.9%) and suspension (10.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, component mounting prescribed areas and service brake performance — headlamp aim alone was recorded 5,259 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 15.9% in the 0-30k band and 30.2% in the 150k+ band, a 14.3-point spread.
The diesel cars hold up better: 24.0% fail against 27.1% for petrol, a 3.1-point gap across 112,842 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 28.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Caravelle model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 41 | 78.0% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 68 | 69.1% | 30.9% | Brakes |
| 1983 | 567 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 1,548 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 2,119 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 2,210 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 2,145 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 2,489 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 1,331 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 434 | 73.7% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 367 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 378 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 516 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 1,556 | 66.2% | 33.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 2,126 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 2,018 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 2,712 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 2,756 | 69.0% | 30.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 2,727 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 3,695 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 4,364 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 4,671 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 4,019 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 3,521 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 4,542 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 4,121 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 3,950 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 3,753 | 73.4% | 26.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 2,685 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 3,893 | 76.8% | 23.3% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 4,142 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 4,983 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 4,256 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 3,775 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 4,368 | 81.3% | 18.7% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 6,110 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 5,625 | 84.6% | 15.4% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 3,813 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 3,242 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 949 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 226 | 83.2% | 16.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.9% | 13,386 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.4% | 11,721 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.6% | 9,729 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.9% | 6,678 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.7% | 5,314 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.5% | 5,065 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.4% | 3,863 |
| 8 | Steering | 3.3% | 3,694 |
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 | 5,259 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 3,901 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 3,640 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 3,356 |
| 5 | Washers | 3,281 |
| 6 | Coil spring | 2,796 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 2,780 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,766 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 28.0% | 31,555 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.0% | 29,328 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.8% | 24,599 |
| 4 | Other defects | 13.1% | 14,723 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 11.6% | 13,068 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 11.6% | 13,070 |
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 | 7,463 | 15.9% |
| 30-60k | 16,080 | 17.2% |
| 60-90k | 18,383 | 20.5% |
| 90-120k | 16,933 | 23.8% |
| 120-150k | 14,564 | 27.1% |
| 150k+ | 39,339 | 30.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 95,314 | 24.0% |
| Petrol | 17,528 | 27.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,567 | 24.4% |
| 2022 | 23,109 | 23.9% |
| 2023 | 22,975 | 24.4% |
| 2024 | 22,479 | 24.7% |
| 2025 | 21,733 | 24.9% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Caravelle
- Lighting & signalling (11.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.4% 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.
- Brakes (8.6% 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.
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 Caravelle?
75.5% of the 112,863 Volkswagen Caravelle MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.5% fail rate, across model years 1980–2022.
What does the Volkswagen Caravelle most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.9% of tests, then suspension (10.4%).
Which Caravelle years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 87.3% and 1996 the weakest at 66.1%, from 3,242 and 2,018 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Caravelle MOT results?
Fail rates run at 15.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.2% for 150k+, a 14.3-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Caravelle more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 24.0% of the time against 27.1% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 112,863 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.