29,806 tests in 2025
Porsche Boxster reliability and MOT pass rate
85.1% passed first time. The 14.9% fail rate is 7.7 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 19 years old with 63,626 miles.
Pass rate
85.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 14.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.6%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
63,626 mi
19 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 921 | 4.6% |
| 6-9 years | 3,740 | 5.1% |
| 10-13 years | 4,234 | 7.6% |
| 14+ years | 20,902 | 18.7% |
What the Boxster 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 equipment98 dangerous31.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous28.9%
- Suspension40 dangerous26.2%
- Brakes327 dangerous25.1%
- Tyres854 dangerous17.8%
- Visibility11.9%
- Body, chassis, structure11 dangerous11.4%
- Steering11 dangerous5.4%
Is the Boxster getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 14.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 33,002 | 17 | 15.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 32,914 | 18 | 15.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 27,600 | 19 | 15.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 29,594 | 19 | 14.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Boxster 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 Boxster in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits914 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken447 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded395 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm278 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working255 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively247 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect238 tests
- 8Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements235 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Boxster collects 2.75 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.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3,635 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened2,909 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,624 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,154 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,565 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn878 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn705 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)649 tests
Questions
What is the Porsche Boxster MOT pass rate?
85.1% of the 29,806 Porsche Boxster first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 14.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.6% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Porsche Boxster usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits", recorded on 914 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 31.5% of failures, noise, emissions and leaks appears in 28.9% of failures, suspension appears in 26.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 4.6%; at 14+ years it was 18.7%. The median Porsche Boxster tested in 2025 was 19 years old with 63,626 miles.
Is the Porsche Boxster getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 14.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0.2 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Boxster trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 9 safety recalls naming the Porsche Boxster: Porsche Boxster recalls.
Other Porsche models
Checking a particular Boxster?
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.