Pass rate, every year
535,307 tests across 24 model years, 2000–2023.
−1.8 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
535,307 tests across 24 model years, 2000–2023.
−1.8 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2023 91.8%
The strongest of the 24 years on record. See the 2023 page →
Worst year to buy
2001 67.2%
24.6 points below the 2023 peak. See the 2001 page →
The Volkswagen Caddy MOT pass rate is 79.2%, −1.8 percentage points below the UK average. That is 535,307 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2023. This page lists the most common Volkswagen Caddy MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volkswagen Caddy MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Volkswagen Caddy passed on its first attempt in 74.3%, and its overall record sits −1.8 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Volkswagen Caddy in the 2023–2025 data: 535,307 tests across 24 model years (2000–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 535,307 |
| Overall pass rate | 79.2% |
| Passed on first attempt | 74.3% |
| Average mileage at test | 114,195 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2023 (24 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −1.8 pts below |
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 Volkswagen Caddy, the Suspension 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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 28% |
| Visibility | 26% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 23% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11% |
| Tyres | 5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4% |
| Brakes | 2% |
| Steering | 0% |
Shares are over the Volkswagen Caddy's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 28% of the recorded Volkswagen Caddy failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (4.5%), "Coil spring fractured or broken" (1.7%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (1.1%) among the Volkswagen Caddy's suspension faults.
Around 26% of the recorded Volkswagen Caddy failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (6.5%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (1.3%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.6%) among the Volkswagen Caddy's visibility faults.
Around 23% of the recorded Volkswagen Caddy failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (6.9%), "Stop lamp not working" (0.6%), "Position lamp not working" (0.2%) among the Volkswagen Caddy's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Volkswagen Caddy, each with how many of the model's 535,307 tests it was noted on.
4 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shock absorbers damaged to the extent that it does not function | 1.8% | 0.4% | 4.5× | £30–£75 |
| Mirrors slightly damaged | 1.6% | 0.4% | 4.0× | £3–£15 |
| Shock absorber has no damping | 1.4% | 0.4% | 3.5× | £30–£75 |
| Windscreen damaged | 6.5% | 2.7% | 2.4× | £80–£200 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (535,307 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Caddy records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Volkswagen Caddy model year on record is 2023 (91.8% across 97 tests), and the weakest is 2001 (67.2%). The gap between them is 24.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Volkswagen Caddy reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Caddy | 97 | 91.8% |
| 2022 Caddy | 2,528 | 89.1% |
| 2021 Caddy | 8,364 | 88.7% |
| 2020 Caddy | 21,896 | 87.8% |
| 2019 Caddy | 35,865 | 86.2% |
| 2018 Caddy | 36,642 | 86.1% |
| 2017 Caddy | 41,393 | 82.5% |
| 2016 Caddy | 46,997 | 81.1% |
| 2015 Caddy | 43,980 | 79.6% |
| 2014 Caddy | 44,033 | 78.5% |
| 2013 Caddy | 46,534 | 77.3% |
| 2012 Caddy | 36,871 | 76.8% |
| 2011 Caddy | 45,772 | 75.8% |
| 2010 Caddy | 34,993 | 73.9% |
| 2009 Caddy | 25,658 | 74.2% |
| 2008 Caddy | 20,344 | 74.6% |
| 2007 Caddy | 16,971 | 73.5% |
| 2006 Caddy | 11,086 | 72.9% |
| 2005 Caddy | 7,455 | 72.2% |
| 2004 Caddy | 4,528 | 71.9% |
| 2003 Caddy | 1,081 | 69.1% |
| 2002 Caddy | 966 | 70.8% |
| 2001 Caddy | 551 | 67.2% |
| 2000 Caddy | 702 | 73.5% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Volkswagen Caddy's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Volkswagen Caddy.
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
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 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 suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”
With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Volkswagen Caddy. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
79.2% of the 535,307 recorded Volkswagen Caddy MOT tests ended in a pass, −1.8 percentage points below the national average. 74.3% of those passed on the first attempt.
2023 is the strongest Volkswagen Caddy year on record at 91.8%, while 2001 is the weakest at 67.2%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Volkswagen Caddy failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 13% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.