Vauxhall Corsa MOT failure rate and common faults
874,895 Vauxhall Corsa cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 35.2% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 28.9% of the time, which makes the Vauxhall Corsa 22% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
35.2%
failed first time
874,895 MOT tests in 2025
+22%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 28.9%
185 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
97.7
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 106.2
What fails on a Vauxhall Corsa 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 Corsa 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 | 69.3 |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Steering | 45.9 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 36.0 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 29.8 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 27.8 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 27.1 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 26.6 |
| Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak | Suspension | 24.8 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 24.8 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 24.1 |
Vauxhall Corsa 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 | 36,396 | 14.1% | 11.4% | 22,800 |
| 2021 | 40,392 | 17.7% | 12.8% | 30,000 |
| 2020 | 45,475 | 15.2% | 14.1% | 35,400 |
| 2019 | 53,095 | 19.8% | 16.5% | 38,500 |
| 2018 | 52,817 | 27.1% | 19.1% | 46,500 |
| 2017 | 51,857 | 31.6% | 21.8% | 54,000 |
| 2016 | 75,147 | 33.4% | 25.1% | 61,400 |
| 2015 | 86,567 | 36.4% | 28.1% | 67,400 |
| 2014 | 71,998 | 42.8% | 31.4% | 72,100 |
| 2013 | 69,188 | 41.4% | 34.3% | 77,100 |
| 2012 | 68,065 | 42.6% | 36.6% | 81,000 |
| 2011 | 53,631 | 43.1% | 38.8% | 84,200 |
| 2010 | 45,943 | 45.2% | 40.7% | 85,700 |
| 2009 | 39,559 | 45.4% | 41.8% | 88,600 |
| 2008 | 35,652 | 46.5% | 42.9% | 90,500 |
| 2007 | 26,706 | 47.5% | 42.7% | 91,100 |
| 2006 | 13,437 | 50.4% | 43.0% | 83,800 |
| 2005 | 8,970 | 49.5% | 42.4% | 82,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Vauxhall Corsa'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 Corsa, 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 edge240.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing198.2
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened112.9
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive99.8
- Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil85.8
- Coil spring: corroded68.9
Checking a used Vauxhall Corsa before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Vauxhall Corsa fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and windscreen, wipers and mirrors. 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.
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
Look for chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight, and test the wipers and washers. Windscreen damage in the swept area is an MOT failure.
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 Corsa cars tested: Petrol 92%, Diesel 7%. Average age at test 10.6 years, average recorded mileage 65,100.
Vauxhall Corsa MOT questions
What is the Vauxhall Corsa MOT failure rate?
35.2% of Vauxhall Corsa cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 874,895 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 28.9% of the time, so the Vauxhall Corsa was 22% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Vauxhall Corsa MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 206 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 69.3 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Vauxhall Corsa year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2020 registrations did best: 15.2% failed against an average of 14.1% 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 Corsa will pass?
No. These are averages across every Vauxhall Corsa 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 Astra33.9% failed
- Vauxhall Mokka30.9% failed
- Vauxhall Insignia32.6% failed
- Vauxhall Vivaro41.7% failed
- Vauxhall Zafira38.2% failed
- Vauxhall Combo37.5% failed
Ranked close to the Vauxhall Corsa
- SEAT Ibizarank 182
- Peugeot 308rank 183
- Peugeot 208rank 184
- Fiat 500Xrank 186
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 Corsa cars 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.