Volkswagen California MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Volkswagen California took 9,079 MOT tests in Britain and passed 82% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 9,079
- First-time pass rate
- 82%
- All cars
- 71%
What the California fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Tyres5.2% (all cars 6.4%)
- Suspension5.1% (all cars 9.0%)
- Brakes3.4% (all cars 6.8%)
- Lights and electrics2.9% (all cars 11.3%)
- Visibility2.0% (all cars 4.8%)
- Seat belts and airbags1.2% (all cars 1.0%)
- Body and structure1.0% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions0.8% (all cars 3.1%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Coil spring: fractured or broken 3.2%
- Tyres, condition: has ply or cords exposed 1.8%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.6%
- Anti-lock braking system: warning lamp indicates an ABS fault 1.2%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.0%
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 0.9%
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 0.9%
- SRS malfunction indicator lamp: warning lamp indicates a fault 0.9%
Most common advisories
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 13.5%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 8.1%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 6.9%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 4.3%
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 4.2%
- Coil spring: corroded 1.6%
- Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread 1.5%
- Brake discs: worn, but not excessively 1.4%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 337 | 75% |
| 2011 | 386 | 74% |
| 2012 | 590 | 76% |
| 2013 | 598 | 77% |
| 2014 | 730 | 79% |
| 2015 | 893 | 81% |
| 2016 | 842 | 82% |
| 2017 | 1,293 | 84% |
| 2018 | 1,153 | 87% |
| 2019 | 1,274 | 89% |
| 2020 | 650 | 92% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 3 years | 20,617 miles |
| 4 years | 25,440 miles |
| 5 years | 32,352 miles |
| 6 years | 41,671 miles |
| 7 years | 47,435 miles |
| 8 years | 52,898 miles |
| 9 years | 60,581 miles |
| 10 years | 66,248 miles |
| 11 years | 68,564 miles |
| 12 years | 71,511 miles |
| 13 years | 73,614 miles |
Check a particular California
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Volkswagen models
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volkswagen Caddy
- Volkswagen UP
- Volkswagen Touran
- Volkswagen T ROC
- Volkswagen Scirocco
- Volkswagen Beetle
- Volkswagen Touareg
- Volkswagen Sharan
- Volkswagen FOX
- Volkswagen Amarok
- Volkswagen Caravelle
- Volkswagen Jetta
- Volkswagen T Cross
- Volkswagen CC
- Volkswagen EOS
- Volkswagen Lupo
- Volkswagen Bora
- Volkswagen E Golf
- Volkswagen Arteon
- Volkswagen Crafter
- Volkswagen LT
- Volkswagen Camper
- Volkswagen Motor Caravan
- Volkswagen Corrado
- Volkswagen Phaeton
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.