Volkswagen Caddy years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2021

Last updated · OBDCode UK editorial

Inspect most carefully: 2017, 2019, 2021. Strongest in the data: 2007 or 2008. The ranking uses 423,229 MOT test records across 18 qualifying registration-year cohorts in the 2023–2025 DVSA test extracts and compares each cohort with all UK cars of the same age. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Same-vehicle follow-up for common certificate lines on this model is further down: how often the same item failed the next year, and how often the car was not tested again. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.5-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Caddy year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2008 Strong 102.1 +2.1 pts 67.2% 15,991
2 2007 Strong 100.6 +0.6 pts 65.7% 13,195
3 2006 100.4 +0.4 pts 64.8% 8,646
4 2009 100.1 +0.1 pts 66.5% 19,780
5 2005 99.8 -0.2 pts 64.3% 5,860
6 2011 99.7 -0.3 pts 68.8% 35,486
7 2004 99.4 -0.6 pts 63.8% 3,524
8 2012 99.3 -0.7 pts 70.5% 28,862
9 2010 98.5 -1.5 pts 65.8% 26,771
10 2013 97.9 -2.1 pts 71.2% 36,615
11 2018 97.7 -2.3 pts 84.1% 31,929
12 2014 97.2 -2.8 pts 73.0% 35,060
13 2020 96.4 -3.6 pts 86.3% 19,559
14 2015 96.0 -4.0 pts 74.7% 35,463
15 2016 95.8 -4.2 pts 77.1% 38,663
16 2019 Inspect 95.8 -4.2 pts 84.2% 31,316
17 2021 Inspect 95.5 -4.5 pts 85.9% 1,874
18 2017 Inspect 95.2 -4.8 pts 79.2% 34,635

Why 2017 and 2019 and 2021 rank lower

The 2019 cohort passes 84.2% of tests (-4.2 points versus same-age cars) at a median 55,084 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2021 cohort passes 85.9% of tests (-4.5 points versus same-age cars) at a median 21,868 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2017 cohort passes 79.2% of tests (-4.8 points versus same-age cars) at a median 72,982 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

What happened next on this model

Year rankings are age-adjusted pass rates. The figures below are a same-vehicle follow-up for certificate lines that appear often enough on this model (at least 200 cars). They are not a repair quote and they do not isolate a turbo, DSG, or clutch part.

National rankings for the not-retested gap: cars not tested again. Repair-hold rates: repairs that did not hold.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2017 example beats a neglected 2007 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (3.5 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Caddy years should I avoid?

Based on 423,229 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2017, 2019, 2021 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Caddy year to buy used?

2007 and 2008 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Caddy reliable overall?

Across 423,229 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 98.2 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

What data is required before a years-to-avoid guide is published?

We publish a guide only when a model has at least five registration-year cohorts old enough for a routine first MOT, each based on at least 1,500 Class 4 initial MOT tests pooled across the stated DVSA extract years, and at least 60,000 tests across those cohorts. From the models that pass those gates, this release includes the 220 models with the largest pooled samples. Retests are excluded.

How are the Strong and Inspect labels assigned?

Strong considers only the two highest-ranked registration-year cohorts and labels either one that is within 1.5 index points of the best. Inspect considers only the three lowest-ranked cohorts and labels a year only when its index is no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are MOT test records, not unique vehicles.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Pass rate uses DVSA result codes (P + PRS) ÷ (P + PRS + F): passes and passes after rectification at the test divided by those outcomes plus failures. Class 4 initial-test records only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 records per registration-year cohort. “Strong” considers the top two cohorts within 1.5 index points of the best. “Inspect” considers only the bottom three cohorts, then requires an index no higher than 100 and at least 2 points below the model median. Counts are test records, not unique vehicles. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.