Porsche Cayman, Buying guide, MOT record and recalls
In 2025, the Porsche Cayman passed 88.9% of 14,708 initial MOT tests, 16.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Cayman? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Porsche Cayman at the MOT
88.9% of 14,708 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Cayman 52nd of 575 models. Porsche Caymans aged 3 to 5 years passed 94.9% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 84.2%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Porsche Cayman tests in 2025.
Where Caymans fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Porsche Cayman tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (8.3%), position lamp not working (7.4%) and rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (5.8%).
The MOT page lists every common Cayman MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Cayman's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.25% of Cayman failure items
-
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.18.6% of Cayman failure items
-
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.17.8% of Cayman failure items
Cayman engine sizes
3.4 litre engines made up 35% of Porsche Cayman MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.7 litre at 23%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 14,704 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Porsche Cayman recalls
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Porsche Cayman. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Cayman is affected.
-
Jun 2024 R/2024/243
ARA7 Recall campaign - Replace shift cable
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the transmission shift cable may have had the safety clip on the shift cable incorrectly fitted or the cable sheath on the shift cable may be damaged resulting in the risk of a roll away incident after the vehicle is placed in park (P) if the parking brake is not applied.
- Remedy
- Replace shift cable
-
Dec 2023 R/2024/001
On affected vehicles the rear spoiler setting may not meet specifications due to incorrect coding during production making it too high. The high-mounted brake light may become less visible while driving and the aerodynamics of the vehicle may change
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Re-code the rear vehicle electronics control unit on affected vehicles.
-
Sep 2021 R/2021/314
Rear axle carrier side parts may not meet required specifications
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The carrier side parts installed on the rear axle during a certain period may not meet the required specifications.
- Remedy
- The left and right carrier side parts of the affected vehicles must be replaced.
-
Aug 2019 R/2019/250
Air bag control unit may have been installed with a faulty capacitor
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Possible fault within the air bag control unit.
- Remedy
- Software upgrade to the control unit and replacement if faulty.
-
Apr 2019 R/2019/095
Inadequate connection between lower longitudinal member and cross member
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Inadequate connection between the lower longitudinal member and cross member.
- Remedy
- Secure the lower longitudinal member to the cross member using additional blind rivets.
-
Mar 2019 R/2019/111
The airbag sensors in the side members on the vehicle may not be screwed tightly enough
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that the side airbag sensors are not tightened to specification.
- Remedy
- Check both side airbag sensors and rework the fixing where necessary.
-
Nov 2014 R/2014/151
Bonnet catch assembly may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the upper part of the catch mechanism fitted to the front luggage compartment lid may not be secured to the correct specification. The mechanism may become detached from the lid allowing it to open unintentionally.
- Remedy
- Replace upper part of catch mechanism and secure with new screws
-
Jan 2006 R/2006/014
Parking brake may fail
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- A bearing flange on the parking brake lever is likely to break. If this occurs the parking brake will be ineffective.
- Remedy
- Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and replace the parking brake lever assembly.
Other Porsche models
The most-tested Porsche models in 2025, against the Cayman's 88.9% MOT pass rate.
Porsche Cayman FAQs
Is the Porsche Cayman reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 88.9% first-time pass rate for the Porsche Cayman across 14,708 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Porsche Cayman had any recalls?
8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Porsche Cayman. The most recent was published in June 2024. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Porsche Cayman?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, brakes and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Porsche Cayman's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found a Cayman?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Porsche history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Porsche VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.