Volkswagen California, Buying guide, MOT record and UK numbers
16,073 Volkswagen Californias are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 82% of initial MOT tests, 9.7 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific California? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Volkswagen California at the MOT
82% of 11,723 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the California 171st of 575 models. Volkswagen Californias aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.4% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 73.7%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Volkswagen California tests in 2025.
Where Californias fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Volkswagen California tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were coil spring fractured or broken (11.6%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (7.3%) and condition has ply or cords exposed (6.3%).
The MOT page lists every common California MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The California's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.25.5% of California 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.22.7% of California 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.16.8% of California failure items
Volkswagen Californias in the UK
16,073 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 356% since the end of 2015.
- Change since 2015
- +356%from 3,524 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2019half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2019 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 1,152against 1,767 in 2024
- Declared off the road
- 2341.4% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Volkswagen Californias since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 2,614 |
| End of 2015 | 3,524 |
| End of 2016 | 4,423 |
| End of 2017 | 5,633 |
| End of 2018 | 6,751 |
| End of 2019 | 7,867 |
| End of 2020 | 8,632 |
| End of 2021 | 9,548 |
| End of 2022 | 11,113 |
| End of 2023 | 12,413 |
| End of 2024 | 14,035 |
| End of 2025 | 15,176 |
| End of June 2026 | 16,073 |
How old they are
Licensed Volkswagen Californias by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 2 were first used before 2010.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,063 | 1,152 |
| 2024 | 1,679 | 1,767 |
| 2023 | 1,299 | 1,379 |
| 2022 | 1,552 | 1,638 |
| 2021 | 954 | 994 |
| 2020 | 670 | 704 |
| 2019 | 1,261 | 1,306 |
| 2018 | 1,122 | 1,192 |
| 2017 | 1,266 | 1,338 |
| 2016 | 821 | 870 |
| 2015 | 874 | 941 |
| 2014 | 709 | |
| 2013 | 569 | |
| 2012 | 589 | |
| 2011 | 396 | |
| 2010 | 313 |
874 Californias first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 93% of the 941 first registered that year.
California engines and fuel
2.0 litre engines made up 92% of Volkswagen California MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.5 litre at 7.7%. Diesel accounts for 96% of licensed Californias and plug-in hybrid for 2.2%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 11,721 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Californias
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 239 | 1% |
| Diesel | 15,475 | 96% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 359 | 2% |
Other Volkswagen models
The most-tested Volkswagen models in 2025, against the California's 82% MOT pass rate.
- Volkswagen Golf
- Volkswagen Polo
- Volkswagen Transporter
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volkswagen Passat
- Volkswagen Caddy
Volkswagen California FAQs
How many Volkswagen Californias are there in the UK?
16,073 Volkswagen Californias were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 234 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Volkswagen California 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 82% first-time pass rate for the Volkswagen California across 11,723 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Volkswagen California?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, tyres and brakes. 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 Volkswagen California'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 California?
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 Volkswagen history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Volkswagen 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. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). 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.