1,673 tests in 2025
Volkswagen Camper reliability and MOT pass rate
69.8% passed first time. The 30.2% fail rate is 7.6 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 35 years old with 69,427 miles.
Pass rate
69.8%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30.2% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.1%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
69,427 mi
35 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 12 | — |
| 6-9 years | 19 | — |
| 10-13 years | 101 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,541 | 30.7% |
What the Camper 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 equipment17 dangerous50.1%
- Brakes39 dangerous42.2%
- Suspension12 dangerous30.7%
- Visibility1 dangerous27.3%
- Body, chassis, structure17 dangerous26.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous17.2%
- Steering7 dangerous13.1%
- Tyres45 dangerous8.9%
Is the Camper getting worse?
The fail rate fell 3.1 points to 30.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,041 | 33 | 33.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,824 | 33 | 31.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,393 | 34 | 32.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,347 | 35 | 30.7% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Camper 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 Camper in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements63 tests
- 2Washers: not working55 tests
- 3Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength55 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively51 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding49 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working47 tests
- 7Service brake imbalance: across an axle46 tests
- 8Horn: not working41 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Camper collects 2.98 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.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine238 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play191 tests
- 3Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded126 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure108 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm92 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn74 tests
- 7Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced71 tests
- 8Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened66 tests
Questions
What is the Volkswagen Camper MOT pass rate?
69.8% of the 1,673 Volkswagen Camper first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.2% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.1% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Volkswagen Camper usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements", recorded on 63 failed tests, followed by "Washers: not working" and "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 50.1% of failures, brakes appears in 42.2% of failures, suspension appears in 30.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.3%; at 14+ years it was 30.7%. The median Volkswagen Camper tested in 2025 was 35 years old with 69,427 miles.
Is the Volkswagen Camper getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 3.1 points to 30.7% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 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 Camper 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 Camper?
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.