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. On a Volkswagen Camper bought as a 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 what damaged Volkswagen Campers actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Volkswagen Camper

1. Audible warning inoperative, 2.7% of tests (12.6x the national rate for this defect)
2. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 4.1% of tests (11.15x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 2.4% of tests (8.35x 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, 2.1% of tests (6.34x the national rate for this defect)
5. 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, 5.1% of tests (6.15x the national rate for this defect)
6. 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., 2.4% of tests (6.13x 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% of tests (5.43x the national rate for this defect)
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 5.3% of tests (4.27x the national rate for this defect)
9. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 3.4% of tests (3.48x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4.7% of tests (2.68x the national rate for this defect)

From 3,035 DVSA-tracked Volkswagen Camper tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.49% of these flagged Volkswagen Camper defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate