2017 Volkswagen Caravelle — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 5,625 MOT tests, the 2017 Volkswagen Caravelle recorded an 84.6% pass rate. That is 1.7 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 13.6%. Failures cluster in suspension, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (6.7%) and tyres (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, pins and bushes and brake pads — coil spring alone was recorded 199 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2017 Caravelle fails 11.1% of the time in the 0-30k band and 9.9% at 150k+, a spread of only 1.1 points.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 6.7% | 374 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.3% | 301 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.7% | 153 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.5% | 142 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.9% | 109 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 108 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 199 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 149 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 108 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 107 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 105 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 95 |
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 | 21.3% | 1,198 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.2% | 854 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.9% | 671 |
| 4 | Other defects | 8.6% | 486 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.5% | 311 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.0% | 114 |
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 | 814 | 11.1% |
| 30-60k | 2,331 | 14.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,522 | 18.5% |
| 90-120k | 441 | 23.8% |
| 120-150k | 124 | 13.7% |
| 150k+ | 393 | 9.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 5,172 | 15.8% |
| Petrol | 453 | 10.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,072 | 11.6% |
| 2022 | 1,108 | 13.3% |
| 2023 | 1,144 | 16.5% |
| 2024 | 1,129 | 15.8% |
| 2025 | 1,172 | 19.3% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Caravelle
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 6.7% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (6.7% 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.
- Tyres (5.3% 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.
- Brakes (2.7% 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.
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 Caravelles pass their MOT?
84.6% of the 5,625 2017 Volkswagen Caravelle MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Volkswagen Caravelle?
Suspension, recorded in 6.7% of tests, followed by tyres (5.3%).
Does the 2017 Caravelle get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.1% in the 0-30k band to 9.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,625 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.