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R185 HBV

1997 Volkswagen Caravelle

Black Diesel 2370cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires8 Jul 2027
Tests17 (13 pass, 4 fail)
Pass rate76.5%

Mileage

382,664 mi
Last recorded382,664 miles
Recorded on9 Jul 2026
Typical for 1997 Volkswagen Caravelle141,911 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Volkswagen
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationR185 HBV
MakeVolkswagen
ModelCaravelle
Year1997
ColourBlack
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,370cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

13 pass 4 fail
Pass 9 Jul 2026 382,664 miles

previous repairs covered in underseal

Pass 23 May 2024 381,662 miles

Nearside Front Inner Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot severely deteriorated (6.1.7 (g) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 22 Aug 2022 380,024 miles
Pass 28 Jul 2021 379,097 miles
Pass 16 Aug 2019 378,345 miles
Pass 24 May 2018 377,126 miles

Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Pass 25 Oct 2016 375,276 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt upper and lower (2.4.G.2)

Pass 1 Oct 2015 372,546 miles
Pass 30 Apr 2014 368,903 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Obligatory mirror damaged, but not seriously affecting the rear view (8.1.2a)

Offside Front Front constant velocity joint gaiter damaged, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

Oil leak

clutch rubber missing

lower front panel corroded and sills

Pass 7 May 2009 364,937 miles

bad oil leak on the engine

exhaust back box is corroding

n/s/f door mirror is cracked

n/s/f indicator lens is broken

Fail 6 May 2009 364,931 miles

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Offside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

Fuel system component insecure (7.2.1) DANGEROUS

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

bad oil leak on the engine

exhaust back box is corroding

n/s/f door mirror is cracked

n/s/f indicator lens is broken

spare tyre is below the limit

Pass 17 Dec 2007 355,049 miles

bad oil leak on engine

front pads are getting low

n/s door mirror is cracked

n/s/r brake disc is slightly scored

rear brake pads are approaching the limit

Fail 3 Dec 2007 354,900 miles

Nearside Front Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Offside Rear coil spring incomplete (2.4.C.1a)

Offside Tie bar/rod rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly scored (3.5.1h)

bad oil leak on engine

front brake pads are getting low

n/s door mirror is cracked

n/s/r brake pads are approaching the limit

Pass 29 Nov 2006 341,392 miles

BOTH FRONT VERTICAL LINK BUSHES HAVE SLIGHT PLAY IN BUSHES. THEY WILL REQUIRE REPLACING SOON

Fail 28 Nov 2006 341,392 miles

Centre Statutory seat belt missing (5.1.1)

Offside Front Windscreen wiper blade deteriorated (8.2.2)

Rear Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

both front vertical link bushes have slight play they will require replaceing soon

Pass 5 Dec 2005 33,269 miles

Advise No. plate lamp has intermittent fault,at the time of test lamp was working

Fail 5 Dec 2005 33,269 miles

Direction indicator incorrect colour (1.4.A.2f)

Nearside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.5c)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Advise engine has bad oil leak

Advise nearside rear tyre on 1.6mm.offside rear tyre on 2.0mm.both rear tyres slightly out of shape.

Advise offside inner c/v gaiter requires replacing

Advise steering rack mountings starting to perish.slight play

Advise water leakink from radiator area

How Reliable is the Volkswagen Caravelle?

Based on 422,168 MOT tests across 24,962 vehicles.

71.2%
Pass Rate
5,286
Miles/Year
43
Year Lifespan
24,962
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Registration plate lamp not working 8,177
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 6,845
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 6,266
Brake pipe excessively corroded 5,996
position lamp(s) not working 4,827
Full Volkswagen Caravelle reliability report

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R185 HBV is a 1997 Volkswagen Caravelle in Black with a 2,370cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 76.5%.

Across all 1997 Volkswagen Caravelle models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.1% with a typical mileage of 141,911 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Volkswagen Caravelle fails its MOT is registration plate lamp not working, accounting for 8,177 recorded failures. If you're considering buying R185 HBV, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Volkswagen Caravelle typically stays on UK roads for around 43 years. At 29 years old, this Volkswagen Caravelle is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of R185 HBV?

You can check the full history of R185 HBV by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was R185 HBV registered?

R185 HBV is a 1997 Volkswagen Caravelle, first registered on 12 September 1997.

Is R185 HBV safe to buy?

The MOT history for R185 HBV shows 17 tests with a 76.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does R185 HBV have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on R185 HBV. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.