Volkswagen
14,288 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Californias pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 6.4 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
83.9%
Pass-after-fix
1.9%
Fail
13.8%
Avg miles
57,842
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Some examples of this model are borderline — a small number of diesels were certified Euro 6 before September 2015. Check your registration on the government's ULEZ checker to be certain. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 · Bristol £9.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 14,243 tests
Pass rate climbs 5.5 points across the cohorts — newer California examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
82.7%
Fail
14.9%
PRS
1.9%
Avg mileage at test
64,689 mi
Pass
88.2%
Fail
9.5%
PRS
1.6%
Avg mileage at test
34,739 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Volkswagen California is a diesel-powered car sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 9,654 tests puts this car on a 83.6% first-time pass rate, above the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 51,967 miles. The most common fail item is fractured or weakened suspension spring, followed by cracked or discoloured windscreen.
For used buyers, the California'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
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. 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 →
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A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
382 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
350 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
301 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
Warning device shows system malfunction
189 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
188 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A tyre cords visible or damaged
171 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
125 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Wiper blade defective
115 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
112 occurrences · 0.8% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
112 occurrences · 0.8% 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
£88–£275
If every one of this California'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 →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 5.5-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volkswagen California has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
88.2%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 88.2% — a 5.5-point improvement. Tests in this band average 34,739 miles — roughly 30K 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. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.
Band to be cautious about
82.7%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 82.7% pass rate against a fleet average of 88.2% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: fractured or broken, inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 64,689 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (88.2% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (82.7% pass). That's a 5.5-point spread across 11,036 older tests and 3,207 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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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 California 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.
