Porsche Boxster common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 32,333 initial MOT tests on the Porsche Boxster in Great Britain, and 82.6% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

Looking at a particular Boxster? Check its own record.

Free MOT history, mileage and tax. No sign-up.

Porsche Boxster at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 32,333
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 82.6%
Failed at firstIncluding 2.6% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 17.4%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 3.4%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 7,757 off the road (SORN): 24,664

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Boxster fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
6.4%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Noise, emissions and leaks
4.4%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
3Suspension
3.9%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Brakes
3.8%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Tyres
2.8%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
6Visibility
2.4%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Body, chassis and structure
1.7%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
0.8%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.5%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.4%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks4.3%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics2.3%
Brake performanceBrakes1.8%
ConditionTyres1.8%
Rigid brake pipesBrakes1.8%
SpringsSuspension1.5%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics1.4%
Position lampsLamps and electrics1.3%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2022	270	96.7%	1.1%
2021	287	95.1%	1.4%
2020	459	92.6%	2.2%
2019	892	94.3%	2.1%
2018	1,010	94.5%	2.2%
2017	986	91.9%	3.4%
2016	1,234	93.9%	2.2%
2015	1,077	91.5%	2.1%
2014	1,205	91.2%	2.2%
2013	1,255	92.1%	1.9%
2012	1,097	90.2%	2.6%
2011	777	88.0%	2.4%
2010	812	89.7%	2.3%
2009	855	87.6%	3.0%
2008	1,054	86.1%	2.4%
2007	1,572	84.1%	3.4%
2006	1,847	82.4%	3.7%
2005	3,214	79.9%	3.0%
2004	1,994	75.8%	3.9%
2003	2,375	73.3%	4.7%
2002	2,076	74.1%	4.7%
2001	2,016	73.9%	4.3%
2000	1,846	72.4%	4.9%

Mileage

Boxster mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
3 years	12,900 miles	271
4 years	18,000 miles	381
5 years	22,200 miles	701
6 years	25,000 miles	935
7 years	29,900 miles	966
8 years	32,600 miles	1,091
9 years	32,500 miles	1,200
10 years	38,900 miles	1,090
11 years	43,200 miles	1,258
12 years	46,400 miles	1,349
13 years	48,500 miles	766
14 years	54,100 miles	728
15 years	59,400 miles	842
16 years	62,000 miles	861
17 years	66,300 miles	1,351
18 years	70,600 miles	1,699
19 years	76,600 miles	2,582
20 years	76,700 miles	2,413
21 years	80,200 miles	2,365
22 years	82,700 miles	2,214
23 years	85,600 miles	1,996
24 years	84,200 miles	2,053
25 years	92,200 miles	1,458

Checking a particular Boxster?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Porsche Boxster: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Porsche Boxster?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Porsche Boxster was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 6.4% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came noise, emissions and leaks (4.4%) and suspension (3.9%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Porsche Boxster?

82.6% of 32,333 initial MOT tests on the Porsche Boxster in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 2.6% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Porsche Boxster is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 3.4% of initial tests on the Porsche Boxster found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

More Porsche models

All makes and models