UK vehicle statistics / Volkswagen

How many Volkswagen Caravelle cars are left?

At the end of 2026 Q1, DfT recorded 16,309 licensed and 4,183 SORN vehicles in the UK within the Volkswagen Caravelle generic-model group.

Looking at a Caravelle?

Population figures cannot tell you whether one particular car is taxed, MOT-valid or safe to buy.

Check its registration free for the official tax, MOT and mileage record. If the car is still worth pursuing, the optional £9.99 full history check adds outstanding-finance, stolen and insurance write-off checks.

Wondering whether one particular Caravelle is off the road? A free SORN check shows whether it is currently SORN, taxed or untaxed.

Is the Caravelle disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 18,348 in 2021 Q3 and stand at 16,309 in 2026 Q1, down 11%. That is down 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,183 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,492 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

A falling population is worth knowing before you buy: it usually means fewer donor cars, fewer specialists and slower parts supply, and it is why a good example of a scarce model can hold its price while a neglected one is hard to sell at any price.

Caravelle MOT pass rate

In 2024, 63.4% of 12,720 Volkswagen Caravelle MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average. Pass rate moves with age: 81.8% of cars aged 3–5 years passed first time, against 54.9% aged 15–30 years.

  • Brake Performance — 5.9% of tests. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.8% of tests. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Headlamp Aim — 4.5% of tests. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Condition — 4.5% of tests. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.

Full age bands and failure notes are on the Volkswagen Caravelle MOT pass rate page.

Before you buy

  • Brake Performance — 5.9% of tests in 2024. The brakes underperformed on the rolling road. Expect brake work rather than an adjustment.
  • Suspension Arms — 4.8% of tests in 2024. Worn arms or bushes. A common age-related repair that affects handling and tyre wear.
  • Headlamp Aim — 4.5% of tests in 2024. Headlights pointing too high or low. Cheap to adjust, and common on every make.
  • Condition — 4.5% of tests in 2024. Corrosion, damage or wear on a tested component. Worth seeing in person, as the cost ranges from trivial to structural.
  • Ask why it was off the road — Of the 20,492 Caravelle vehicles still on the DVLA record, 1 in 5 is SORN (4,183 at 2026 Q1). A car that has been laid up needs a closer look at brakes, tyres and the MOT history.
  • Check the actual Caravelle — These figures describe the model group. Enter the registration for that vehicle's free MOT, tax and mileage record before you pay a deposit.

Quarterly licensed and SORN counts

Every quarter DfT has published for this model group, newest first.

QuarterLicensedSORN
2026 Q116,3094,183
2025 Q416,4884,053
2025 Q316,9693,653
2025 Q217,0113,637
2025 Q116,6913,954
2024 Q416,8673,801
2024 Q317,3923,384
2024 Q217,4653,269
2024 Q117,2113,471
2023 Q417,2903,578
2023 Q317,8003,115
2023 Q217,9773,002
2023 Q117,6973,169
2022 Q417,7813,304
2022 Q318,2542,850
2022 Q218,2692,743
2022 Q117,9282,970
2021 Q417,9413,089
2021 Q318,3482,644
2021 Q218,2202,588
2021 Q117,2413,084
2020 Q417,2623,220
2020 Q317,4532,816
2020 Q216,7562,904
2020 Q116,6963,233
2019 Q417,1172,799
2019 Q317,4852,336
2019 Q217,2572,242
2019 Q116,6442,440
2018 Q416,6392,573
2018 Q317,1052,084
2018 Q216,8722,001
2018 Q116,3582,197
2017 Q416,3812,358
2017 Q316,7751,879
2017 Q216,5021,791
2017 Q115,8801,960
2016 Q415,6592,168
2016 Q315,8801,679
2016 Q215,6161,594
2016 Q114,9931,973
2015 Q414,9161,973
2015 Q315,3121,534
2015 Q215,1511,473
2015 Q114,4521,703
2014 Q414,3011,890
2014 Q314,9171,305

Other Volkswagen models

See how many of every Volkswagen model are left

Common questions

How many Volkswagen Caravelle cars are left in the UK?

16,309 were licensed and 4,183 were SORN at the end of 2026 Q1, according to DfT and DVLA statistics for this generic-model group.

How many Volkswagen Caravelle cars are SORN?

4,183 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,492 still on the DVLA record at the end of 2026 Q1.

Is the Caravelle disappearing?

Licensed numbers peaked at 18,348 in 2021 Q3 and stand at 16,309 in 2026 Q1, down 11%. That is down 5% in the five years since 2021 Q1. A further 4,183 are declared SORN — 1 in 5 of the 20,492 still on the DVLA record is off the road, laid up, part-restored or waiting to be sold.

What is the Volkswagen Caravelle MOT pass rate?

In 2024, 63.4% of 12,720 Volkswagen Caravelle MOTs passed first time — below the 71.2% UK average.

What does the Caravelle fail its MOT on?

The most common initial failure categories in 2024 are brake performance (5.9% of tests), suspension arms (4.8% of tests), headlamp aim (4.5% of tests).

Does this say whether one Caravelle is a good buy?

No. These are population figures for the model group. Enter that vehicle's registration for its own free MOT, tax and mileage record.

Source and limitations

Source: Department for Transport and DVLA, df_VEH0120_UK. Released 2026-07-15 under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

DVLA make and model fields are administrative data and can contain omissions or inconsistencies. These statistics describe model groups, not an individual registration.

Confidential cells marked [c] represent between 1 and 4 vehicles and are treated as zero in aggregates, so totals can be slightly understated.