1,997 tests in 2025
Porsche 944 reliability and MOT pass rate
81.7% passed first time. The 18.3% fail rate is 4.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 36 years old with 116,712 miles.
Pass rate
81.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
116,712 mi
36 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 0 | — |
| 10-13 years | 0 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,997 | 18.3% |
What the 944 fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment1 dangerous48.4%
- Brakes29 dangerous32.8%
- Suspension19 dangerous32.2%
- Visibility27.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks19.9%
- Body, chassis, structure7 dangerous17.2%
- Steering1 dangerous7.9%
- Tyres24 dangerous7.4%
Is the 944 getting worse?
The fail rate fell 5.2 points to 18.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,571 | 34 | 23.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,420 | 34 | 21.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 2,018 | 35 | 21.3% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,988 | 36 | 18.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical 944 at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a 944 in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rear fog lamp: not working59 tests
- 2Washers: not working53 tests
- 3Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive42 tests
- 4Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength40 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements40 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working31 tests
- 7Horn: not working29 tests
- 8Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid29 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical 944 collects 2.96 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine279 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play159 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded155 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure121 tests
- 5Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened93 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm72 tests
- 7Flexible brake hoses: ferrule excessively corroded61 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Fuel Pipe/s corroded60 tests
Questions
What is the Porsche 944 MOT pass rate?
81.7% of the 1,997 Porsche 944 first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Porsche 944 usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rear fog lamp: not working", recorded on 59 failed tests, followed by "Washers: not working" and "Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 48.4% of failures, brakes appears in 32.8% of failures, suspension appears in 32.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 18.3%. The median Porsche 944 tested in 2025 was 36 years old with 116,712 miles.
Is the Porsche 944 getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 5.2 points to 18.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every 944 trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Porsche models
Checking a particular 944?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.