Model Reports 3 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Porsche Boxster 2008: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 86 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2008 Porsche Boxster were passes.

Summary

The 2008 Porsche Boxster follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 1,027 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
86 in every 100
Did not pass first time
14 in every 100143 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
17 yearsabout 63,452 miles
First tests counted
1,027

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail.

Brake discs (rear)

Noted on 21 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

Tyre tread depth (rear)

Noted on 20 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
86in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
2in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
12in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 86.1% of 1,027 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 88.4%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 2 fixed and the 12 not fixed make the 14 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020002005200820152020Older carsNewer cars
406080100200020082020Older carsNewer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 85 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199774 in every 100352
199875 in every 100684
199972 in every 100958
200072 in every 1001,750
200174 in every 1001,917
200273 in every 1001,967
200373 in every 1002,260
200476 in every 1001,901
200580 in every 1003,065
200682 in every 1001,763
200784 in every 1001,524
2008 This car86 in every 1001,027
200988 in every 100816
201089 in every 100779
201188 in every 100743
201290 in every 1001,061
201392 in every 1001,219
201491 in every 1001,156
201591 in every 1001,033
201694 in every 1001,173
201792 in every 100940
201894 in every 100962
201994 in every 100850
202093 in every 100425
202196 in every 100336

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2008 Porsche Boxster follows the pattern of the model years either side. In 2025, 86.1% of 1,027 first MOTs on the 2008 Porsche Boxster passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 88.4%. Among 143 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often than on cars of a similar age and mileage when the sample is large enough to trust. There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2008 Porsche Boxster (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Check any vehicle’s MOT history

Full MOT history, mileage records, and reliability insights for any UK vehicle.

Run a free check