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Model reliability
Volkswagen California reliability
The Volkswagen California fails its MOT less often than most cars 6 to 10 years old: 18.7% of 4,377 tests failed in 2023, against 24.4% on average.
Up to 5 years old
12.1% failed their MOT
From 2,376 MOT tests of Volkswagen Californias this age.
Where it does worse than other cars this age
Fails 38% more oftenTyre condition4.4% vs 3.2%Fix about £90
Fails 4× as oftenSprings1.1% vs 0.3%Fix about £150
6 to 10 years old
18.7% failed their MOT
From 4,377 MOT tests of Volkswagen Californias this age.
Where it does worse than other cars this age
Fails 88% more oftenSprings4.5% vs 2.4%Fix about £150
Fails 6× as oftenABS / EBS / ESC1.9% vs 0.3%
Over 10 years old
26% failed their MOT
From 1,636 MOT tests of Volkswagen Californias this age.
Where it does worse than other cars this age
Fails 4× as oftenSRS malfunction indicator lamp3.9% vs 0.9%Fix about £30
Fails 80% more oftenABS / EBS / ESC1.8% vs 1%
Checking a Volkswagen California before you buy
Look at the parts above at the viewing, and read the car’s own MOT history: advisories for the same parts suggest the problem is already starting. Sweep’s free check shows every MOT, advisory and mileage reading for a registration.
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2023 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Failure rates compare this model with all cars in the same age band. Fix prices are typical independent-garage estimates.