13,535 tests in 2025
Porsche Cayman reliability and MOT pass rate
90.5% passed first time. The 9.5% fail rate is 13.1 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 45,590 miles.
Pass rate
90.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 9.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
1.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
45,590 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1,216 | 4% |
| 6-9 years | 3,715 | 5.2% |
| 10-13 years | 3,401 | 7.1% |
| 14+ years | 5,194 | 15.5% |
What the Cayman 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.
- Tyres394 dangerous27.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous26%
- Brakes88 dangerous24.1%
- Suspension9 dangerous21.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous17.9%
- Visibility11.2%
- Body, chassis, structure2 dangerous4.6%
- Steering2 dangerous4.5%
Is the Cayman getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 9.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13,527 | 9 | 8.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 13,681 | 9 | 9.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 11,845 | 10 | 9.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 13,139 | 11 | 9.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Cayman 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 Cayman in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm152 tests
- 2Position lamp: not working140 tests
- 3Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits133 tests
- 4Coil spring: fractured or broken118 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded99 tests
- 6Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords78 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn67 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively63 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Cayman collects 2.48 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 1.6mm1,078 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened894 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded866 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure802 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine281 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre245 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Play in steering rack inner joint(s)230 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick223 tests
Questions
What is the Porsche Cayman MOT pass rate?
90.5% of the 13,535 Porsche Cayman first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 9.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 1.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Porsche Cayman usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 152 failed tests, followed by "Position lamp: not working" and "Catalyst emissions: Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits". By section, tyres appears in 27.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 26% of failures, brakes appears in 24.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 4%; at 14+ years it was 15.5%. The median Porsche Cayman tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 45,590 miles.
Is the Porsche Cayman getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.8 points to 9.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years. Ageing alone would predict about 5.2 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 Cayman 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 8 safety recalls naming the Porsche Cayman: Porsche Cayman recalls.
Other Porsche models
Checking a particular Cayman?
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.