How reliable is the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 80.7% across 3,096 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi?

The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 19.3% of failed Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 29.3% of all Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 42,706 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Volkswagen Caddy Maxi models petrol or diesel?

Of the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi cars tested, 88% are diesel, 12% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Volkswagen Caddy Maxi MOT pass rate & common failures

From 3,096 recorded MOT tests of the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 3,096 MOT tests, 80.7% of Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which appears in 19.3% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 42,706 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

80.7%unadjusted, not comparable3,096 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Caddy Maxi. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 3,096 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm19.3%
82 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
2.A tyre cords visible or damaged18.6%
79 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements17.2%
73 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged14.2%
60 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen9.4%
40 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
6.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction8.7%
37 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
7.An SRS malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) indicates a system malfunction5.9%
25 occurrencesAirbag warning lamp on, or airbag missing explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage4.7%
20 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained
9.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements4.5%
19 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc3.8%
16 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements29.3%
904 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm13.2%
408 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements7.0%
216 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured6.4%
199 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged5.1%
156 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn3.1%
96 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
7.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage2.6%
79 testsShock absorber defective explained
8.Nail in tyre2.5%
76 tests

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

What gets tested

The Caddy Maxi fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 42,706
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel87.9%
Petrol12.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (9)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

CADDY MAXI C20 COMMERCE + TDI
CADDY MAXI C20 COMMERCE TSI
CADDY MAXI C20 LIFE TDI
CADDY MAXI C20 LIFE TDI S-A
CADDY MAXI C20 LIFE TSI S-A
CADDY MAXI C20 TDI
CADDY MAXI C20 TDI S-A
CADDY MAXI C20 TSI
CADDY MAXI LIFE

Check a specific Volkswagen Caddy Maxi

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Volkswagen models

Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted
Volkswagen Transporter — 73.7% adjusted
Volkswagen Tiguan — 77.3% adjusted
Volkswagen Passat — 77.9% adjusted
Volkswagen Caddy — 72.1% adjusted
All Volkswagen models

Common questions

How reliable is the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 80.7% across 3,096 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi?: The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 19.3% of failed Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 29.3% of all Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Volkswagen Caddy Maxi usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 42,706 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Volkswagen Caddy Maxi models petrol or diesel?: Of the Volkswagen Caddy Maxi cars tested, 88% are diesel, 12% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.