Volkswagen California MOT pass rate: 81.5% (8,376 tests, 2025)

Name: Volkswagen California MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Volkswagen California passed 81.5% of its 8,376 MOT tests in 2025 — 4.0 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 9 years old with 56,315 miles on the clock.

81.5%Pass rate (2025)

8,376MOT tests analysed

56,315 miMedian mileage at test

9 yrsMedian age at test

How the California compares

Volkswagen California

81.5%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Volkswagen average (all models)

77.6%

What fails most on the Volkswagen California

Across failed and rectified tests in 2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the California:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	810	30.6%
2	Tyres	588	22.2%
3	Brakes	543	20.5%
4	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	225	8.5%
5	Visibility	151	5.7%
6	Body, chassis, structure	136	5.1%

Pre-MOT checklist for California owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

California pass rate by registration year

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2012	1,753	78.4%	+7.2 pts	70,193	78.4% visual scale
2013	1,761	80.9%	+7.6 pts	66,361	80.9% visual scale
2014	2,195	80.5%	+4.6 pts	63,298	80.5% visual scale
2015	2,685	82.3%	+3.6 pts	55,140	82.3% visual scale
2016	2,510	83.0%	+1.7 pts	51,076	83.0% visual scale
2017	3,840	84.8%	+0.8 pts	45,123	84.8% visual scale
2018	3,375	86.9%	+0.6 pts	36,292	86.9% visual scale
2019	3,294	88.7%	+0.4 pts	29,504	88.7% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Brake pads wearing thin — 426 cars · 3.8% failed the same item the next year
Pins and bushes pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement — 379 cars · 2.9% failed the same item the next year
Tread depth worn close to legal limit/worn on edge — 747 cars · 1.2% failed the same item the next year
Condition slightly damaged/cracking or perishing — 287 cars · 1.0% failed the same item the next year
Brake discs worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened — 482 cars · 0.4% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific California before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Volkswagen models

Golf77.8% pass rate · 782,869 tests Polo71.4% pass rate · 577,151 tests Transporter70.7% pass rate · 269,178 tests Tiguan81.4% pass rate · 184,098 tests Passat75.3% pass rate · 166,958 tests Caddy73.4% pass rate · 139,412 tests Up84.1% pass rate · 121,528 tests Touran73.2% pass rate · 67,815 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Volkswagen California?

In 2025, 81.5% of 8,376 first MOT tests on the Volkswagen California were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the California fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (30.6% of its recorded defects), followed by tyres.

Is the Volkswagen California reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 81.5% it performs above the national average at a median age of 9 years and 56,315 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.