Vauxhall Combo MOT failure rate and common faults
94,332 Vauxhall Combo vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 37.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 25.8% of the time, which makes the Vauxhall Combo 45% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
37.5%
failed first time
94,332 MOT tests in 2025
+45%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 25.8%
17 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
144.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 97.8
What fails on a Vauxhall Combo MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Vauxhall Combo MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 54.0 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 49.3 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 42.7 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 35.7 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 34.1 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 33.2 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 28.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 28.5 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 27.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 27.8 |
Vauxhall Combo MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 4,460 | 27.6% | 11.4% | 46,700 |
| 2021 | 9,992 | 29.0% | 12.8% | 57,300 |
| 2020 | 11,600 | 26.6% | 14.1% | 61,900 |
| 2019 | 15,392 | 26.8% | 16.5% | 65,000 |
| 2018 | 2,891 | 33.6% | 19.1% | 75,100 |
| 2017 | 3,489 | 39.9% | 21.8% | 88,500 |
| 2016 | 4,841 | 41.4% | 25.1% | 99,900 |
| 2015 | 4,740 | 42.0% | 28.1% | 106,900 |
| 2014 | 4,392 | 44.6% | 31.4% | 108,800 |
| 2013 | 2,780 | 45.7% | 34.3% | 114,000 |
| 2012 | 2,546 | 47.7% | 36.6% | 116,800 |
| 2011 | 6,635 | 42.6% | 38.8% | 110,700 |
| 2010 | 5,631 | 46.9% | 40.7% | 112,600 |
| 2009 | 3,164 | 51.1% | 41.8% | 124,200 |
| 2008 | 4,158 | 51.2% | 42.9% | 130,800 |
| 2007 | 3,409 | 53.4% | 42.7% | 131,900 |
| 2006 | 2,568 | 52.9% | 43.0% | 128,100 |
| 2005 | 1,644 | 48.4% | 42.4% | 128,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Vauxhall Combo's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Vauxhall Combo, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge362.8
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened127.0
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material111.3
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive99.4
- Brake pads: wearing thin85.4
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing83.7
Checking a used Vauxhall Combo before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Vauxhall Combo fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and brakes. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Vauxhall Combo vans tested: Diesel 96%, Petrol 4%. Average age at test 9.5 years, average recorded mileage 88,700.
Vauxhall Combo MOT questions
What is the Vauxhall Combo MOT failure rate?
37.5% of Vauxhall Combo vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 94,332 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 25.8% of the time, so the Vauxhall Combo was 45% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Vauxhall Combo MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 279 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 54.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Vauxhall Combo year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2011 registrations did best: 42.6% failed against an average of 38.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Vauxhall Combo will pass?
No. These are averages across every Vauxhall Combo tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Vauxhall models
- Vauxhall Corsa35.2% failed
- Vauxhall Astra33.9% failed
- Vauxhall Mokka30.9% failed
- Vauxhall Insignia32.6% failed
- Vauxhall Vivaro41.7% failed
- Vauxhall Zafira38.2% failed
Ranked close to the Vauxhall Combo
- Isuzu D-Maxrank 14
- Renault Kangoorank 15
- Peugeot Partnerrank 16
- Renault Traficrank 18
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Vauxhall Combo vans of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.