Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 36,158 tests

Pass rate climbs 6.0 points across the cohorts — newer Cayman examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 29,285

Pass

90.8%

Fail

7.2%

PRS

1.7%

Avg mileage at test

54,368 mi

2018–2020 cohort 5,583

Pass

94.8%

Fail

4.0%

PRS

0.8%

Avg mileage at test

23,573 mi

2021+ cohort 1,290

Pass

96.7%

Fail

2.6%

PRS

0.4%

Avg mileage at test

16,050 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Porsche Cayman: solid MOT record across 14,865 tests

The Porsche Cayman is a petrol-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.

MOT data from 14,865 tests puts this car on an 89.0% first-time pass rate, well above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 48,380 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded.

The 2013 Porsche Cayman aimed once more to set the class benchmark for driving performance, its longer wheelbase, all-new chassis and lower weight further optimising the established dynamic credentials of the mid-engined sports coupe.

For used buyers, the Cayman's pass rate suggests it clears the MOT with fewer surprises than most — but the top failure items above are still worth a pre-purchase inspection, particularly on higher-mileage examples.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 38–48

A high-group car — insurance costs will be significantly above average. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

38–48

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

480 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
02

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

307 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
03

Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

254 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
04

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

249 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
05

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

236 occurrences · 0.7% of tests
06

Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer

165 occurrences · 0.5% of tests
07

A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

158 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
08

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

150 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
09

A tyre seriously damaged

147 occurrences · 0.4% of tests
10

Wiper blade defective

138 occurrences · 0.4% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£100–£185

If every one of this Cayman's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 6.0-point gap between bands means the year you buy Porsche Cayman has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

96.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 96.7% — a 6.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 16,050 miles — roughly 38K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

90.8%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 90.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 96.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, and excessively corroded. Average mileage on test for this band is 54,368 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (96.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (90.8% pass). That's a 6.0-point spread across 29,285 older tests and 1,290 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Draper Expert

Draper Expert Oil Filter Socket for Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and VW

£18.69

View at My Motor World →

My Motor World

Porsche Birthday Greetings Card (Personalised)

£4.28

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Porsche Cayenne 2003-2012 Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Motor World

Motor World Porsche 911 Coupe 2004-, Cabriolet 2005- & Targe 2006- Car Floor Mat Set

£32.99

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Owner reports · Honest John

What owners actually report.

Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.

What's good

Standard equipment on the 2013 Cayman includes air conditioning, CD audio with seven-inch touch-screen control interface, universal audio interface offering MP3 connectivity, automatic headlight activation, auto stop-start function, electronic parking brake, 'Sport' button, 18-inch alloy wheels, top tinted windscreen, floor mats and a three year warranty. In addition to the more powerful, larger capacity engine, the Cayman S adds 19-inch alloy wheels, partial leather interior, and Bi-Xenon headlights

Where it falls short

The 2013 Porsche Cayman arrived in Porsche Centres in March 2013 priced from £39,694 (€68,460 in Ireland), and the Cayman S priced from £48,783 (€84,136 in Ireland).

Recall history

8 UK recalls on record.

The Cayman has 8 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Cayman?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Cayman and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.