10,764 tests in 2025
Volkswagen California reliability and MOT pass rate
84.2% passed first time. The 15.8% fail rate is 6.8 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 45,467 miles.
Pass rate
84.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 15.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
2.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
45,467 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 2,945 | 8.9% |
| 6-9 years | 4,225 | 16.2% |
| 10-13 years | 2,606 | 19.8% |
| 14+ years | 969 | 24.5% |
What the California 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.
- Suspension8 dangerous38.2%
- Tyres418 dangerous32.2%
- Brakes108 dangerous22.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous9.8%
- Visibility7.5%
- Body, chassis, structure10 dangerous6.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6.6%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems5.6%
Is the California getting worse?
The fail rate rose 3.8 points to 17% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8,212 | 6 | 13.2% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 8,347 | 7 | 15.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 7,764 | — | 16.4% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 9,164 | — | 17% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical California 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 California in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken343 tests
- 2Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords190 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed174 tests
- 4Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault169 tests
- 5Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak103 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn88 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction86 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick82 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical California collects 2.21 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 1.6mm1,244 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened749 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick663 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn605 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure508 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened227 tests
- 7Registration plates: inscription illegible215 tests
- 8Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn191 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen California MOT pass rate?
84.2% of the 10,764 Volkswagen California first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 15.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 2.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen California usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 343 failed tests, followed by "Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, suspension appears in 38.2% of failures, tyres appears in 32.2% of failures, brakes appears in 22.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.9%; at 14+ years it was 24.5%. The median Volkswagen California tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 45,467 miles.
Is the Volkswagen California getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 3.8 points to 17% 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 California 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 Volkswagen models
Checking a particular California?
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.