Pass rate, every year
1,090 tests across 10 model years, 2000–2010.
+6.8 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
1,090 tests across 10 model years, 2000–2010.
+6.8 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2009 96.8%
The strongest of the 10 years on record. See the 2009 page →
Worst year to buy
2003 79.7%
17.1 points below the 2009 peak. See the 2003 page →
The Porsche Carrera MOT pass rate is 87.8%, +6.8 percentage points above the UK average. That is 1,090 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2010. This page lists the most common Porsche Carrera MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
The Porsche Carrera passed on its first attempt in 86.6%, and its overall record sits +6.8 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Porsche Carrera in the 2023–2025 data: 1,090 tests across 10 model years (2000–2010). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,090 |
| Overall pass rate | 87.8% |
| Passed on first attempt | 86.6% |
| Average mileage at test | 68,936 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2010 (10 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +6.8 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Porsche Carrera, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 31% |
| Visibility | 18% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 16% |
| Suspension | 9% |
| Brakes | 6% |
| Steering | 2% |
| Identification of the vehicle | 1% |
Shares are over the Porsche Carrera's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 31% of the recorded Porsche Carrera failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Position lamp not working" (1.2%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (1.1%), "Headlamp aim too low" (0.8%) among the Porsche Carrera's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 18% of the recorded Porsche Carrera failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.4%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (0.6%), "Washers not working" (0.3%) among the Porsche Carrera's visibility faults.
Around 17% of the recorded Porsche Carrera failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.7%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (0.8%), "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (0.3%) among the Porsche Carrera's body, chassis, structure faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Porsche Carrera, each with how many of the model's 1,090 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Porsche Carrera model year on record is 2009 (96.8% across 62 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (79.7%). The gap between them is 17.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Carrera | 67 | 85.1% |
| 2009 Carrera | 62 | 96.8% |
| 2007 Carrera | 69 | 92.8% |
| 2006 Carrera | 135 | 87.4% |
| 2005 Carrera | 150 | 91.3% |
| 2004 Carrera | 97 | 93.8% |
| 2003 Carrera | 158 | 79.7% |
| 2002 Carrera | 149 | 89.3% |
| 2001 Carrera | 108 | 80.6% |
| 2000 Carrera | 95 | 88.4% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Porsche Carrera's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Porsche Carrera.
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
the exhaust and emissions — “catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits”
Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.
the lights — “position lamp not working”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Porsche Carrera. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
87.8% of the 1,090 recorded Porsche Carrera MOT tests ended in a pass, +6.8 percentage points above the national average. 86.6% of those passed on the first attempt.
2009 is the strongest Porsche Carrera year on record at 96.8%, while 2003 is the weakest at 79.7%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Porsche Carrera failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" — together around 4% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.