20.8%
Fluid leak
The vehicle is leaking a fluid — oil, coolant, fuel or hydraulic. A slight seep is common on older cars; a continuous drip is both a road hazard and a sign of something failing.
MOT wording: Oil leak, but not excessive
VauxhallUsed-car reliability
How reliable is a used Vauxhall?
At 7 years old, the average Vauxhall fails its MOT more often than the average UK car.
MOT fail rate · 7-year-old cars
Vauxhall21.0%
UK average16.6%
Fails more often than the average 7-year-old car (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%)
Where to start
The lowest and highest fail rates in the Vauxhall range
The Vauxhall models whose MOT tests at 7 years old most and least often ended in a fail.
Lowest fail rates
- 1
Vauxhall Viva14.6%fail rate - 2
Vauxhall Cascada15.2%fail rate - 3
Vauxhall Astra17.5%fail rate
Highest fail rates
- 1
Vauxhall Mokka23.9%fail rate - 2
Vauxhall Adam23.4%fail rate - 3
Vauxhall Corsa22.6%fail rate
What actually goes wrong
What breaks on Vauxhall cars
The most common MOT faults across the Vauxhall range, in plain English. Models with more MOT tests count for more. The percentage is the share of MOT tests on Vauxhall cars that recorded that defect.
17.8%
Rigid brake pipe
A rigid metal brake pipe is corroded, damaged, kinked, or leaking. These permanently fixed pipes carry pressurised brake fluid — any weakness is a serious safety concern.
MOT wording: Brake pipe corroded or covered in grease
17.4%
Tyre condition
A tyre is worn, cut, damaged or otherwise not fit for the road. Tyres are the only thing connecting the car to the road, so this is always worth taking seriously.
MOT wording: Tyre worn close to the legal limit or worn on the edge
16.3%
Suspension arms, struts and anti-roll bar
A suspension arm, wishbone, strut, sub-frame, or anti-roll bar is worn, cracked, bent, or has excessive play. These structural parts hold the wheels in position and control body lean in corners.
MOT wording: Suspension part corroded, but not seriously weakened
Across all Vauxhall models; models with more MOT tests count for more.
The whole range
Every Vauxhall that ranks, in plain English
For each model, one number: the share of its MOT tests at 7 years old that ended in a fail. Retests count as tests. Lower is better. The UK average (about 1 in 6 MOTs, 16.6%) is shown for reference. Only models with enough MOT data at 7 years old are ranked. The rest sit just below, unranked.
11 models
Vauxhall Viva
The lowest 7-year fail rate of any Vauxhall here.
14.6%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Cascada
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
15.2%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Astra
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
17.5%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Insignia
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
18.6%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Grandland
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
19.7%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Meriva
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
20.0%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Zafira
Among the lower fail rates in the Vauxhall range at 7 years old.
20.3%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Crossland
Above the Vauxhall average, and at or above the UK average.
21.6%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Corsa
Above the Vauxhall average, and at or above the UK average.
22.6%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Adam
Above the Vauxhall average, and at or above the UK average.
23.4%fail rate at 7 years old
Vauxhall Mokka
Above the Vauxhall average, and at or above the UK average.
23.9%fail rate at 7 years old
Fail rates are the share of MOT tests on 7-year-old cars ending in a fail, retests included (DVSA MOT results, 2025). UK average across all makes at the same age: 16.6%. How we count fail rates
Not directly comparable with the figures at 7 years old
Shown unranked. These models don’t have enough MOT data at 7 years old yet. They’re either too new (few cars old enough) or too old (few still on the road). Each is shown at the age with the most tests, so the percentages aren’t directly comparable to the list above.
Too old to rankVauxhall VX220
11.2%fail rate at 22 years old · 233 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Nova
15.2%fail rate at 25+ years old · 1,003 MOT tests
Too new to rankVauxhall Combo Life
15.7%fail rate at 4 years old · 2,657 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Cavalier
21.2%fail rate at 25+ years old · 1,257 MOT tests
Too new to rankVauxhall Vivaro Life
22.3%fail rate at 3 years old · 801 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Omega
25.7%fail rate at 22 years old · 300 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Ampera
26.1%fail rate at 11 years old · 456 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Signum
29.4%fail rate at 19 years old · 377 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Vectra
32.5%fail rate at 17 years old · 9,492 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Tigra
32.9%fail rate at 16 years old · 1,835 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Agila
33.0%fail rate at 16 years old · 6,802 MOT tests
Too old to rankVauxhall Antara
33.5%fail rate at 12 years old · 10,190 MOT tests
Looking at one in particular?
Averages tell you the odds across the range. Enter a number plate to see that car’s own MOT history, its risk rating, and what’s likely to need attention.