Volkswagen Camper: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Volkswagen Camper fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 9.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,654 individual Volkswagen Camper tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 67% first-time pass rate means roughly 33 in every 100 Volkswagen Campers presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Volkswagen Camper tested had covered 77,496 miles and was built around 1993.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Volkswagen Camper sits 9.7 points below the national average, ranked 1,829 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Volkswagen Camper rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see recorded closing bids for damaged Volkswagen Campers at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Camper

1. Audible warning inoperative, 3.5% of tests (12.45x the national rate for this defect)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.4% of tests (10.53x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 3.4% of tests (9.57x the national rate for this defect)
4. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2.8% of tests (6.46x the national rate for this defect)
5. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 3.3% of tests (6.37x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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, 5.5% of tests (5.83x the national rate for this defect)
7. Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 3.5% of tests (4.71x the national rate for this defect)
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 7% of tests (4.16x the national rate for this defect)
9. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 4.2% of tests (3.25x the national rate for this defect)
10. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 2.8% of tests (2.74x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,654 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Camper tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.43% of these flagged Volkswagen Camper defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Volkswagen Camper

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Volkswagen Camper before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 21.2% of tests (32.61x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Free play in the steering, measured at the rim of the steering wheel is excessive, 3.6% of tests (18.72x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 8.4% of tests (6.75x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. 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, 5.4% of tests (3.58x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 16% of tests (2.87x the national rate for this advisory)
6. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 3.1% of tests (2.42x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4.5% of tests (2.27x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 10.9% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.6% of tests (1.27x the national rate for this advisory)
10. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 3.1% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,654 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Camper tests, 2024.

Volkswagen Camper by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number.

• Petrol Volkswagen Camper - 68.6% first-time pass, 1,342 tests
• Diesel Volkswagen Camper - 66.1% first-time pass, 277 tests

Other Volkswagen models

• Volkswagen Golf - 77.1%
• Volkswagen Polo - 71.4%
• Volkswagen Transporter - 70.8%
• Volkswagen Tiguan - 82.4%
• Volkswagen Passat - 74.7%
• Volkswagen Caddy - 73.5%
• Volkswagen Up - 84.4%
• Volkswagen Touran - 72.7%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Ford Puma - 67.1%
• Peugeot 1007 - 67%
• MG 6 - 67%
• Hyundai Sonata - 67%
• Alfa Romeo Mito - 66.8%
• Daihatsu Sirion - 66.8%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate