140,029 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Caddy reliability and MOT pass rate
74.1% passed first time. The 25.9% fail rate is 3.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 109,117 miles.
Pass rate
74.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 25.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
109,117 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 14,752 | 13.2% |
| 6-9 years | 42,692 | 19.7% |
| 10-13 years | 42,193 | 29.6% |
| 14+ years | 40,041 | 33.2% |
What the Caddy 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.
- Suspension1,144 dangerous51.7%
- Brakes4,623 dangerous26.8%
- Tyres10,335 dangerous26.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment108 dangerous25.1%
- Visibility42 dangerous17.4%
- Body, chassis, structure261 dangerous14.5%
- Noise, emissions and leaks60 dangerous13.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5 dangerous3.7%
Is the Caddy getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 26.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 144,653 | 9 | 23.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 147,877 | 9 | 25.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 130,532 | — | 26.2% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 133,797 | — | 26.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Caddy 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 Caddy in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn7,718 tests
- 2Coil spring: fractured or broken3,746 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,448 tests
- 4Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction3,080 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2,954 tests
- 6Condition: has ply or cords exposed2,937 tests
- 7Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2,399 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2,181 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Caddy collects 2.62 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 1.6mm26,739 tests
- 2Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn17,108 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened16,285 tests
- 4Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine12,125 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick11,239 tests
- 6Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure9,749 tests
- 7Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak4,555 tests
- 8Service brake performance: excessively binding4,004 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Caddy MOT pass rate?
74.1% of the 140,029 Volkswagen Caddy first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 25.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Caddy usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn", recorded on 7,718 failed tests, followed by "Coil spring: fractured or broken" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 51.7% of failures, brakes appears in 26.8% of failures, tyres appears in 26.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 13.2%; at 14+ years it was 33.2%. The median Volkswagen Caddy tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 109,117 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Caddy getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 26.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Caddy 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 14 safety recalls naming the Volkswagen Caddy: Volkswagen Caddy recalls.
Other Volkswagen models
Checking a particular Caddy?
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.