Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0
Volkswagen
3,092 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Motor Caravans pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 5.2 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
72.3%
Pass-after-fix
3.6%
Fail
22.5%
Avg miles
78,741
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
This model's production run straddles the January 2006 Euro 4 cutoff. Individual cars vary — check your registration plate on the government's ULEZ checker. Daily charges if driven in the zone: London £12.50 · Birmingham £8.00 .
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 3,057 tests
Pass rate climbs 10.9 points across the cohorts — newer Motor Caravan examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
71.8%
Fail
23.1%
PRS
3.8%
Avg mileage at test
79,764 mi
Pass
82.7%
Fail
10.6%
PRS
1.0%
Avg mileage at test
60,900 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 1,944 MOT tests, the Motor Caravan returns 72.2% first-time pass — below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a torn suspension dust cover. A split CV-joint boot and windscreen washers not working round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 72,334, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
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 →
12–32
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A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated
101 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired
95 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
81 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
76 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen
70 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced
68 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake
65 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements
58 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
57 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
52 occurrences · 1.7% 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–£285
If every one of this Motor Caravan'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 10.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Volkswagen Motor Caravan has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.
Best band to buy
82.7%
2018–2020 registration
the 2018–2020 band climbs to 82.7% — a 10.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 60,900 miles — roughly 19K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: fixing missing, tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm — 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
71.8%
Pre-2018 registration
On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 71.8% pass rate against a fleet average of 82.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated, prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, and efficiency below requirements. Average mileage on test for this band is 79,764 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (82.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (71.8% pass). That's a 10.9-point spread across 2,953 older tests and 104 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
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.
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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 Motor Caravan 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.