1998 Volkswagen Caravelle 2.5L Diesel · R258 CPW

The Caravelle shows a currently roadworthy status following a pass at 144,645 miles on 22 October 2025, with the maintenance trend appearing stable and free of recorded defects across its recent tests. The most recent failure on 13 October 2025 at 144,641 miles listed no defects, implying the rejection likely stemmed from administrative or unrecorded minor causes rather than mechanical fault, and the vehicle cleared retest nine days later. Recorded mileage sits at 144,645 against a 1998 build, averaging roughly 5,166 miles per year and denoting light use for a 28-year-old van. A stark gap exists between the 28 April 2017 pass at 142,352 miles and the 28 October 2024 pass at 143,363 miles, during which only about 1,011 miles accrued over seven years; this suggests prolonged storage. From October 2024 to October 2025 the van covered just 1,282 miles, confirming continued minimal operation. The MOT history flags no advisories for corrosion, suspension bushes, brake discs, or exhaust emissions at any stage, and recurring test failures in 2017 and 2025 carried zero defect entries. A buyer should still inspect structural integrity beneath sills and chassis rails given the age and likely damp standing periods, and verify brake calipers are not seizing after low-mileage dormancy. Given the sparse but clean record, physical checks should focus on perishable items omitted from MOT scope: tyre sidewall cracking, wiper blade condition, and fluid degradation. The low annual mileage implies consumable wear is limited, yet long storage raises risk of seized suspension joints or flat-spotted tyres unseen by the tester.