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Porsche Cayman MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

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Pass rate, every year

91.0% Above average

45,368 tests across 18 model years, 2005–2022.

+10.0 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Porsche Cayman really fares

91.0% of its MOTs pass — over 45,368 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Porsche Cayman MOT pass rate is 91.0%, +10.0 percentage points above the UK average. That is 45,368 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2005 and 2022. This page lists the most common Porsche Cayman MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Porsche Cayman MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Porsche Cayman passed on its first attempt in 90.4%, and its overall record sits +10.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Porsche Cayman in the 2023–2025 data: 45,368 tests across 18 model years (2005–2022). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed45,368
Overall pass rate91.0%
Passed on first attempt90.4%
Average mileage at test47,216 mi
Model years covered2005–2022 (18 years)
Versus UK national average+10.0 pts above

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Porsche Cayman MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Porsche Cayman, the Visibility 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 Est. recorded instances
Visibility 27% 1,177
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 23% 1,026
Tyres 12% 514
Suspension 11% 498
Noise, emissions and leaks 10% 440
Brakes 9% 418
Body, chassis, structure 7% 317
Identification of the vehicle 1% 37

Shares are over the Porsche Cayman's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Visibility

Around 27% of the recorded Porsche Cayman failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (1.9%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.2%) among the Porsche Cayman's visibility faults.

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 23% of the recorded Porsche Cayman 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" (0.6%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (0.2%) among the Porsche Cayman's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Tyres

Around 12% of the recorded Porsche Cayman failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (0.5%), "Has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords" (0.4%), "Has a bulge, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure" (0.1%) among the Porsche Cayman's tyres faults.

Top Recorded Porsche Cayman DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Porsche Cayman, each with how many of the model's 45,368 tests it was noted on.

  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 852 Porsche Cayman tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 562 Porsche Cayman tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (Major) — noted on about 376 Porsche Cayman tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 343 Porsche Cayman tests, 0.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 324 Porsche Cayman tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 312 Porsche Cayman tests, 0.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Porsche Cayman Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Porsche Cayman model year on record is 2021 (96.8% across 879 tests), and the weakest is 2005 (83.5%). The gap between them is 13.3 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 First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2022 Cayman 461 96.1% 96.0% 13,067 mi Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm
2021 Cayman 879 96.8% 96.7% 17,170 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2020 Cayman 1,340 96.1% 96.0% 17,246 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2019 Cayman 3,063 95.1% 95.0% 23,733 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2018 Cayman 3,669 94.7% 94.5% 28,783 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2017 Cayman 2,732 94.6% 94.3% 32,794 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2016 Cayman 3,002 94.8% 94.5% 31,074 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2015 Cayman 3,358 94.7% 94.5% 36,909 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2014 Cayman 3,756 93.2% 92.8% 46,383 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2013 Cayman 3,289 92.7% 92.2% 50,152 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2012 Cayman 1,026 93.4% 93.1% 51,346 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2011 Cayman 1,687 91.0% 90.4% 56,631 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2010 Cayman 1,727 89.9% 89.0% 66,053 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2009 Cayman 2,134 90.3% 89.5% 67,292 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2008 Cayman 2,990 84.8% 82.6% 73,714 mi Position lamp not working
2007 Cayman 4,737 85.3% 83.4% 77,775 mi Position lamp not working
2006 Cayman 4,971 83.8% 81.6% 79,133 mi Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idl
2005 Cayman 547 83.5% 81.5% 80,633 mi Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idl

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Porsche Cayman Owners

These checks follow this Porsche Cayman's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Porsche Cayman.

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Porsche Cayman. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Porsche Cayman is most common

Across every Cayman model year on record (2005–2022): 24,137 Porsche Cayman cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 45,332 tests. Guildford (GU) has the most, with 672 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

# Postcode area Cars Share of all Tests Pass rate
1 Guildford (GU) 672 2.8% 1,273 93.5%
2 Birmingham (B) 629 2.6% 1,188 93.8%
3 Reading (RG) 570 2.4% 1,104 92.8%
4 Crawley (RH) 513 2.1% 973 89.3%
5 Ashford (TN) 508 2.1% 970 91.3%
6 Northampton (NN) 497 2.1% 965 90.6%
7 Nottingham (NG) 489 2% 956 90.3%
8 Leicester (LE) 474 2% 907 92.1%
9 Derby (DE) 456 1.9% 673 93.9%
10 Sheffield (S) 433 1.8% 822 92.8%
11 Portsmouth (PO) 429 1.8% 802 91.6%
12 Gloucester (GL) 411 1.7% 867 89.3%
13 Coventry (CV) 397 1.6% 687 93.4%
14 High Wycombe (HP) 385 1.6% 666 93.8%
15 Kingston upon Thames (KT) 384 1.6% 699 92.1%
16 Leeds (LS) 383 1.6% 701 91.0%
17 Chelmsford (CM) 364 1.5% 636 91.2%
18 Swindon (SN) 362 1.5% 676 91.0%
19 Slough (SL) 353 1.5% 568 90.8%
20 Bristol (BS) 348 1.4% 756 87.7%

The twenty areas with the most Porsche Cayman cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Porsche Cayman MOT & Reliability

What is the Porsche Cayman MOT pass rate?

91.0% of the 45,368 recorded Porsche Cayman MOT tests ended in a pass, +10.0 percentage points above the national average. 90.4% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Porsche Cayman model years pass the MOT most often?

2021 is the strongest Porsche Cayman year on record at 96.8%, while 2005 is the weakest at 83.5%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Porsche Cayman MOT failures?

The most recorded Porsche Cayman failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Position lamp not working" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.