Pass rate
72.6%
Below average — 0.2 pts ahead of the 72.4% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 73 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £22–£72
2005 Volkswagen California MOT pass rate
- 2005
- Motorhome
- typical 143,788 mi
Only 73 tests of this exact model and year are in the DVSA data, below the 100 we ask for before a page goes in the index. The figures are still shown, because they are the only ones there are.
Most common fault
Suspension
24.7% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2020 90.0% pass
- Avoid 2005 72.6% pass · this year
Across the 16 years on record, a spread of 17.4 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 63.0%
- Typical mileage
- 144k mi
The 2005 Volkswagen California MOT pass rate is 72.6% of its MOT tests — about what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 24.7% of what testers record.
Check your postcode
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Volkswagen California does in your corner of the country.
Expert verdict
Lamps & electrics: 1.8× the national share
Lamps & electrics make up 22.4% of everything recorded on the 2005 Volkswagen California, against 12.2% nationally — 10.2 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 24.7%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Walk round the car with the lights on before the test: bulbs, indicators and number-plate lamps are the cheapest failures to prevent and among the most common.
- Based on a small sample. 73 tests back this page. That is enough to publish and to index, not enough to treat the decimal places as precise — read the pattern, not the second digit.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Volkswagen California? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2005 Volkswagen California compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 72.4%, so this figure is 0.2 points ahead of what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 63.0%. The median 2005 Volkswagen California in this dataset had covered 143,788 mi.
Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 76.3% of the time, April–September 68.6%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 15.07% of tests.
- 73 recorded tests behind this page.
- 72.6% overall pass rate, 63.0% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Volkswagen California, the average is 85.4% — best year 2020 (90.0%), worst 2005 (72.6%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 73
- Typical mileage (median)
- 143,788 mi
- Make and model
- Volkswagen California
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Number Plate Lamp
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the California MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 42% so small gaps stay visible.
Regional pass rates for the California
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 31 | 74.2% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2005 California
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2005 California
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 15.1% of tests
“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.
-
Check the suspension joints 8.2% of tests
“ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”
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.
-
Check the steering 5.5% of tests
“steering lock not functioning”
With the wheels straight, rock the steering wheel gently with the engine off — more than about an inch of free play before the wheels move is worth investigating. Split rack gaiters are cheap to replace and commonly recorded.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2005 California through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £22–£72 — and 41% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £22–£72
- Cheapest common item: registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the…
- £5–£20
- Dearest common item: pre 01/07/2008 turbo emissions exceed…
- £60–£250
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 70%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 41%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 73 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the California, side by side
16 model years on record, from 2005 to 2020. Across them the pass rate runs from 72.6% to 90.0% — a spread of 17.4 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2005 72.6%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2006 81.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2007 82.0% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2008 80.1% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 80.5% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2010 80.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2011 81.8% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2012 81.9% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2013 83.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2014 83.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2015 84.9% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2016 85.1% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2017 86.8% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2018 88.7% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 89.6% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2020 90.0% has ply or cords exposed
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2005 Volkswagen California with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2005 motorhomes with a similar record
- Suzuki Motorhome 68.4%
- Ci Motorhome Motorhome 76.9%
- Renault Motorhome 77.8%
- Auto Trail Motorhome 78.7%
- Ford Motorhome 78.8%
- Fiat Motorhome 79.2%
Closest pass rates among 2005 motorhomes with at least 150 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. Full rankings: best motorhomes and worst motorhomes for MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2005 Volkswagen California 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 167 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 42 | 24.70% | 20.98% | +3.72 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 38 | 22.40% | 12.21% | +10.19 |
| Brakes | 27 | 15.90% | 20.89% | −4.99 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15 | 8.80% | 5.57% | +3.23 |
| Tyres | 13 | 7.60% | 19.76% | −12.16 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12 | 7.10% | 5.52% | +1.58 |
| Steering | 8 | 4.70% | 2.57% | +2.13 |
| Visibility | 4 | 2.40% | 4.97% | −2.57 |
| Non-component advisories | 4 | 2.40% | 4.18% | −1.78 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4 | 2.40% | 0.82% | +1.58 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 15.1% | £5–20 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 8.2% | £18–45 |
| Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 6.8% | £30–80 |
| Steering lock not functioning Steering | Minor | 5.5% | £60–200 |
| Headlamp lens slightly defective Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 4.1% | £5–25 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 4.1% | £5–25 |
| Pre 01/07/2008 turbo emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit Noise, emissions and leaks | Major | 4.1% | £60–250 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | Major | 2.7% | £18–45 |
| Coil spring fractured or broken Suspension | Major | 2.7% | £25–65 |
| Flexible brake hoses excessively deteriorated Brakes | Major | 2.7% | £25–70 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes | Advisory | 17.8% | £80–180 |
| Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | Advisory | 12.3% | £40–150 |
| Coil spring corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 11.0% | £25–65 |
| Headlamp has a product on the lens so that the light output is severely reduced Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Advisory | 9.6% | £5–25 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 8.2% | £45–95 |
| Suspension arm corroded and seriously weakened Suspension | Advisory | 6.8% | £35–85 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 2 | 50.0% | 25,475 mi |
| 30-60k | 8 | 75.0% | 42,090 mi |
| 60-90k | 2 | 100.0% | 84,345 mi |
| 90-120k | 11 | 72.7% | 103,710 mi |
| 120k+ | 50 | 72.0% | 162,034 mi |
Source: 73 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2005 California MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2005 Volkswagen California?
72.6% of the 73 2005 Volkswagen California tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 72.4% for cars first used in 2005. First-attempt pass rate: 63.0%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2005 Volkswagen California?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (15.07%), ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (8.22%), headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (6.85%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2005 Volkswagen California MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 50.0% of the time, falling to 72.0% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2005 Volkswagen California in this dataset had covered 143,788 mi.
Does the season affect the 2005 Volkswagen California MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 76.3% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 68.6%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.