Volkswagen Motor/Caravan MOT pass rate & common failures
5,339 MOT tests on the Volkswagen Motor/Caravan (1980–2023) give it a 76.5% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (21.5% fail rate), the Motor/Caravan comes out 2.1pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 13.4% of all tests — 4.1 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, component mounting prescribed areas and service brake performance — headlamp aim alone was recorded 275 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.6% versus 18.0%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 3.6pp more often than diesel ones (25.3% vs 21.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 23.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Motor/Caravan model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 140 | 81.4% | 18.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1981 | 105 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 179 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Suspension |
| 1983 | 112 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 112 | 70.5% | 29.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 131 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 138 | 70.3% | 29.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 135 | 65.2% | 34.8% | Visibility |
| 1988 | 69 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 230 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 253 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Visibility |
| 1991 | 207 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Brakes |
| 1992 | 98 | 65.3% | 34.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 71 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 94 | 68.1% | 31.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 68 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 55 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 64 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 99 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 41 | 85.4% | 14.6% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 65 | 73.9% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 78 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 76 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 126 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 169 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 177 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 209 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Brakes |
| 2008 | 183 | 72.7% | 27.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 128 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 222 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 218 | 81.7% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 206 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 153 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 201 | 82.6% | 17.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 184 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Visibility |
| 2016 | 95 | 87.4% | 12.6% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 112 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 119 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 64 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 62 | 83.9% | 16.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 64 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.4% | 716 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.3% | 498 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.8% | 415 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.4% | 343 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.6% | 300 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 242 |
| 7 | Steering | 3.2% | 169 |
| 8 | Tyres | 2.6% | 141 |
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 | 275 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 245 |
| 3 | Service brake performance | 231 |
| 4 | Wipers | 214 |
| 5 | Washers | 197 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 183 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 149 |
| 8 | Rear fog lamp | 147 |
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 | 23.4% | 1,249 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.6% | 1,207 |
| 3 | Tyres | 13.5% | 723 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 11.1% | 590 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.8% | 467 |
| 6 | Other defects | 7.6% | 408 |
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 | 751 | 18.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,203 | 20.9% |
| 60-90k | 1,077 | 23.6% |
| 90-120k | 753 | 22.6% |
| 120-150k | 599 | 26.9% |
| 150k+ | 949 | 29.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 2,855 | 25.3% |
| Diesel | 2,425 | 21.7% |
| Gas/LPG | 36 | 11.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,117 | 25.1% |
| 2022 | 1,110 | 23.2% |
| 2023 | 1,006 | 22.2% |
| 2024 | 1,071 | 22.6% |
| 2025 | 1,035 | 24.4% |
What to check before buying a Volkswagen Motor/Caravan
- Lighting & signalling (13.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.3% 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 (7.8% 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 Motor/Caravan?
76.5% of the 5,339 Volkswagen Motor/Caravan MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.5% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the Volkswagen Motor/Caravan most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.4% of tests, then brakes (9.3%).
How much does mileage affect Motor/Caravan MOT results?
Fail rates run at 18.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.6% for 150k+, a 11.6-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Motor/Caravan more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 21.7% of the time against 25.3% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,339 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.