29,549 tests in 2025
Porsche Cayenne reliability and MOT pass rate
87.8% passed first time. The 12.2% fail rate is 10.4 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 9 years old with 74,924 miles.
Pass rate
87.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 12.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
74,924 mi
9 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 5,779 | 6.4% |
| 6-9 years | 8,897 | 9.5% |
| 10-13 years | 7,734 | 13% |
| 14+ years | 7,020 | 19.4% |
What the Cayenne 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.
- Tyres1,280 dangerous38.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7 dangerous24%
- Suspension24 dangerous23.8%
- Brakes391 dangerous20.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks12.3%
- Visibility11.4%
- Body, chassis, structure12 dangerous5.8%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous4.4%
Is the Cayenne getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 12.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 26,834 | 8 | 12.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 28,347 | 8 | 13% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 25,448 | 9 | 13% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 27,038 | 10 | 12.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cayenne 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 Cayenne in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken609 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords472 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm374 tests
- 4Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction302 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed297 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick212 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively178 tests
- 8Condition: has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure168 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cayenne collects 2.41 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,754 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,496 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,391 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,259 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,092 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn892 tests
- 7Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords767 tests
- 8Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre661 tests
Questions
What is the Porsche Cayenne MOT pass rate?
87.8% of the 29,549 Porsche Cayenne first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 12.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Porsche Cayenne usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 609 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, tyres appears in 38.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 24% of failures, suspension appears in 23.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 6.4%; at 14+ years it was 19.4%. The median Porsche Cayenne tested in 2025 was 9 years old with 74,924 miles.
Is the Porsche Cayenne getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.3 points to 12.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.3 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 Cayenne 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 25 safety recalls naming the Porsche Cayenne: Porsche Cayenne recalls.
Other Porsche models
Checking a particular Cayenne?
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.