Volkswagen Caravelle MOT pass rates & common failures

Every completed first-attempt MOT on a Volkswagen Caravelle in Great Britain in 2025 — 18,265 tests. Figures cover every Caravelle first-tested in 2025, all trims grouped. How the Caravelle ages, what it fails on, and what mileage is normal, computed directly from the official DVSA record of every test.

Pass rate 2025
65.1%
7.2 points below the class-4 average (72.3%); unadjusted for age — the age-matched comparison is below
Tests analysed
18,265
first tests, 2025
Arrived with a dangerous fault
7.8%
of Caravelle first tests; national 7.3%
Typical mileage at 10 years
86,250
middle half: 63,750–106,250 miles (2,500-mile-band midpoints)

How the Caravelle ages

First-time pass rate by vehicle age, Caravelle vs all cars, 2025.

Volkswagen CaravelleAll cars
50%60%70%80%90%100%3579111315171920Vehicle age (years)Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 4: 82.5%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 5: 81.3%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 6: 77.6%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 7: 76.9%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 8: 73.3%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 9: 71.8%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 10: 69.1%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 11: 73.7%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 12: 72.2%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 13: 70.8%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 14: 67.1%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 15: 64%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 17: 57.3%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 18: 51.8%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 19: 55%Volkswagen Caravelle, vehicle age 20: 54.4%All cars, vehicle age 3: 88.5%All cars, vehicle age 4: 87.2%All cars, vehicle age 5: 86%All cars, vehicle age 6: 83.5%All cars, vehicle age 7: 80.9%All cars, vehicle age 8: 78.2%All cars, vehicle age 9: 74.9%All cars, vehicle age 10: 71.9%All cars, vehicle age 11: 68.6%All cars, vehicle age 12: 65.8%All cars, vehicle age 13: 63.5%All cars, vehicle age 14: 61.2%All cars, vehicle age 15: 59.3%All cars, vehicle age 16: 58.3%All cars, vehicle age 17: 57.2%All cars, vehicle age 18: 57.4%All cars, vehicle age 19: 57%All cars, vehicle age 20: 57.6%All cars 57.6%Volkswagen Caravelle 54.4%
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Caravelle testsCaravelle pass rateAll cars
452782.5%87.2%
569481.3%86.0%
682177.6%83.5%
766776.9%80.9%
896873.3%78.2%
91,01671.8%74.9%
1071369.1%71.9%
1162073.7%68.6%
1269972.2%65.8%
1380670.8%63.5%
1465967.1%61.2%
1559564.0%59.3%
1754657.3%57.2%
1856651.8%57.4%
1956055.0%57.0%
2064354.4%57.6%

Better or worse than the average car?

The Caravelle's pass rate minus the all-cars pass rate at each age, in percentage points. Bars above zero: the Caravelle beats the average car of that age. Below zero: it trails.

Caravelle aheadCaravelle behind
-8-4+0+4+8Age 4: -4.7 points vs the average carAge 5: -4.7 points vs the average car5Age 6: -5.9 points vs the average carAge 7: -4.0 points vs the average car7Age 8: -4.9 points vs the average carAge 9: -3.1 points vs the average car9Age 10: -2.8 points vs the average carAge 11: +5.1 points vs the average car11Age 12: +6.4 points vs the average carAge 13: +7.3 points vs the average car13Age 14: +5.9 points vs the average carAge 15: +4.7 points vs the average car15Age 17: +0.1 points vs the average car17Age 18: -5.6 points vs the average carAge 19: -2.0 points vs the average car19Age 20: -3.2 points vs the average car20Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)Gap (points)
4-4.7
5-4.7
6-5.9
7-4.0
8-4.9
9-3.1
10-2.8
11+5.1
12+6.4
13+7.3
14+5.9
15+4.7
17+0.1
18-5.6
19-2.0
20-3.2

The Caravelle fleet on the road, by age

How many took a first MOT in 2025 at each age — the shape of the Caravelle fleet still in use.

05001k1k2kAge 4: 5274Age 5: 694Age 6: 8216Age 7: 667Age 8: 9688Age 9: 1kAge 10: 71310Age 11: 620Age 12: 69912Age 13: 806Age 14: 65914Age 15: 595Age 17: 546Age 18: 56618Age 19: 560Age 20: 64320Vehicle age (years)
View this chart as a table
Age (years)First tests
4527
5694
6821
7667
8968
91,016
10713
11620
12699
13806
14659
15595
17546
18566
19560
20643

What a Caravelle fails on

Where the failure items land when a Caravelle fails or needs a fix at test, 2025. Use it as a pre-purchase checklist: these are the areas to look at first.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment22.4%
Suspension21.3%
Brakes17.8%
Body, chassis, structure11.2%
Tyres7.8%
Visibility6.5%
Noise, emissions and leaks4.9%
Steering4.7%

Share of all failure items, 2025 — the 8 biggest categories shown (96.7% of the items); smaller categories are not listed.

The advisories to watch

Where testers most often write "keep an eye on this" for a Caravelle, 2025 — the faults in the post.

Brakes: 27.7% of advisories27.7%Suspension: 26.0% of advisories26.0%Tyres: 20.4% of advisories20.4%Body, chassis, structure: 6.7% of advisoriesNoise, emissions and leaks: 6.4% of advisoriesNon-component advisories: 6.1% of advisories
BrakesSuspensionTyresBody, chassis, structureNoise, emissions and leaksNon-component advisories
View this chart as a table
CategoryShare of advisories
Brakes27.7%
Suspension26.0%
Tyres20.4%
Body, chassis, structure6.7%
Noise, emissions and leaks6.4%
Non-component advisories6.1%

Petrol, diesel or hybrid Caravelle?

First-time pass rate for the two most-tested Caravelle fuel types, 2025, against the all-cars average. Fleet ages differ by fuel — newer fleets help the electrified bars.

50%60%70%80%90%100%all cars 72.3%Diesel: 65.5% of 15,899 tests65.5%Diesel15,899 testsPetrol: 62.2% of 2,334 tests62.2%Petrol2,334 tests
View this chart as a table
FuelTestsPass rate
Diesel15,89965.5%
Petrol2,33462.2%

What mileage is normal for a Caravelle?

Mileage recorded at test by vehicle age, 2025. The line is the typical (median) Caravelle; the shaded band holds the middle half. A car far outside the band, in either direction, is worth questions the recorded history can answer.

Typical Caravelle (median)
0k25k50k75k100k125k150k175k200k225k4681012141820Vehicle age (years)Age 4: typical 36,250 miles (middle half 26,250–48,750)Age 5: typical 43,750 miles (middle half 31,250–58,750)Age 6: typical 51,250 miles (middle half 38,750–66,250)Age 7: typical 58,750 miles (middle half 43,750–76,250)Age 8: typical 71,250 miles (middle half 53,750–93,750)Age 9: typical 78,750 miles (middle half 61,250–101,250)Age 10: typical 86,250 miles (middle half 63,750–106,250)Age 11: typical 86,250 miles (middle half 63,750–113,750)Age 12: typical 93,750 miles (middle half 73,750–118,750)Age 13: typical 106,250 miles (middle half 81,250–143,750)Age 14: typical 111,250 miles (middle half 81,250–146,250)Age 15: typical 118,750 miles (middle half 91,250–151,250)Age 17: typical 141,250 miles (middle half 111,250–176,250)Age 18: typical 146,250 miles (middle half 116,250–181,250)Age 19: typical 163,750 miles (middle half 126,250–206,250)Age 20: typical 166,250 miles (middle half 133,750–203,750)166k mi

Mileage values are midpoints of 2,500-mile bands.

View this chart as a table
Age (years)Lower quarterTypical (median)Upper quarter
426,25036,25048,750
531,25043,75058,750
638,75051,25066,250
743,75058,75076,250
853,75071,25093,750
961,25078,750101,250
1063,75086,250106,250
1163,75086,250113,750
1273,75093,750118,750
1381,250106,250143,750
1481,250111,250146,250
1591,250118,750151,250
17111,250141,250176,250
18116,250146,250181,250
19126,250163,750206,250
20133,750166,250203,750

What fails at each age

The Caravelle's failure mix by age band, 2025 — each band's top categories at their true share of that band's failure items; the pale remainder is everything else. How the mix shifts with age is the point of the chart.

SuspensionTyresBrakesVisibilityBody, chassis, structureLamps, reflectors and electrical equipmentEverything else
View this chart as a table
Age bandCategoryShare of the band's failure items
3-5 yrsSuspension33.2%
3-5 yrsTyres30.2%
3-5 yrsBrakes13.1%
3-5 yrsVisibility6.1%
3-5 yrsBody, chassis, structure5.3%
3-5 yrsEverything else12.1%
6-9 yrsSuspension35.7%
6-9 yrsTyres20.9%
6-9 yrsBrakes14.4%
6-9 yrsBody, chassis, structure8.9%
6-9 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment7.2%
6-9 yrsEverything else12.9%
10-13 yrsSuspension30.1%
10-13 yrsBrakes16.5%
10-13 yrsTyres16.4%
10-13 yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment12.4%
10-13 yrsVisibility6.4%
10-13 yrsEverything else18.2%
14+ yrsLamps, reflectors and electrical equipment21.9%
14+ yrsSuspension20.3%
14+ yrsBrakes19.8%
14+ yrsBody, chassis, structure13.0%
14+ yrsVisibility6.1%
14+ yrsEverything else18.9%

More vehicles we've checked

How these figures are computed. Every number on this page is calculated by SortedCars from the DVSA anonymised MOT results dataset (every MOT test in Great Britain — 2025 for single-year figures; trend figures state their span, currently 2023–2025). Where a figure comes from a sample or uses banded values (mileage is banded to 2,500 miles), the page says so beside the figure. Test class 4 only, first tests only — retests are excluded. Class 4 is the car MOT class and also covers car-derived vans, pickups and motorhomes tested to the same standard; where this page says "cars" it means class 4. Pass rate = passes ÷ (passes + failures + pass-after-rectification): a vehicle that failed and was fixed during the visit counts as a fail. Pass rates describe fleets, not individual machines: they reflect how cars were driven, maintained and used as well as how they were built, and beyond recorded mileage none of that is in the data. A well-kept example of a model with a weak average can still pass; a neglected example of a strong one can still fail. No figure is shown for any group with fewer than 500 tests. Alias spellings of a make in the DVSA file are counted under one make name, and all trims and variants of a model are grouped under one model name, using SortedCars' grouping tables. “Dangerous” is DVSA's statutory defect category (in force since May 2018): a defect posing an immediate risk to road safety — driving the vehicle before repair is an offence. What these figures are for. These statistics are general information about groups of vehicles. They are not advice, a valuation or a recommendation to buy, avoid or price any particular vehicle, and no decision about one car should rest on them alone — check the car itself and its own records. We take care over the calculations, but we cannot guarantee they are complete, current or free of error, and we accept no liability for loss arising from reliance on them. This does not limit any liability that cannot lawfully be limited — see our Terms & Conditions. If you believe any figure on this page is inaccurate, contact us. SortedCars is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the DVSA or DVLA. DVSA publishes the raw test records; the statistics on this page are SortedCars' own calculations from them. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.