Vauxhall Meriva MOT failure rate and common faults
79,632 Vauxhall Meriva cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 38.3% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 35.3% of the time, which makes the Vauxhall Meriva 8% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
38.3%
failed first time
79,632 MOT tests in 2025
+8%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 35.3%
156 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
133.2
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 124.8
What fails on a Vauxhall Meriva 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 Meriva 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 | 120.1 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 31.7 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 30.7 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 30.3 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 29.7 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 28.9 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 27.8 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 25.5 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 25.1 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 25.0 |
Vauxhall Meriva 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 4,445 | 26.5% | 21.8% | 46,800 |
| 2016 | 6,440 | 28.7% | 25.1% | 53,700 |
| 2015 | 8,078 | 30.9% | 28.1% | 60,500 |
| 2014 | 7,382 | 32.7% | 31.4% | 65,300 |
| 2013 | 7,354 | 37.1% | 34.3% | 71,800 |
| 2012 | 8,146 | 35.1% | 36.6% | 80,300 |
| 2011 | 12,939 | 37.3% | 38.8% | 89,400 |
| 2010 | 8,221 | 43.3% | 40.7% | 86,000 |
| 2009 | 4,278 | 49.8% | 41.8% | 82,400 |
| 2008 | 4,145 | 52.5% | 42.9% | 87,300 |
| 2007 | 3,616 | 50.4% | 42.7% | 88,100 |
| 2006 | 2,858 | 52.5% | 43.0% | 89,100 |
| 2005 | 1,700 | 53.9% | 42.4% | 90,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Vauxhall Meriva'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 Meriva, 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 edge284.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing201.1
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive159.7
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened156.1
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material147.7
- Coil spring: corroded104.5
Checking a used Vauxhall Meriva before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Vauxhall Meriva fails more often than average on suspension and engine, emissions and leaks. Start there.
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.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
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 Meriva cars tested: Petrol 82%, Diesel 18%. Average age at test 13.1 years, average recorded mileage 75,500.
Vauxhall Meriva MOT questions
What is the Vauxhall Meriva MOT failure rate?
38.3% of Vauxhall Meriva cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 79,632 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 35.3% of the time, so the Vauxhall Meriva was 8% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Vauxhall Meriva MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 251 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded 120.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Vauxhall Meriva year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2012 registrations did best: 35.1% failed against an average of 36.6% 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 Meriva will pass?
No. These are averages across every Vauxhall Meriva 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 Meriva
- Nissan Micrarank 153
- Ford B-Maxrank 154
- Ford S-Maxrank 155
- Hyundai ix35rank 158
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 Meriva 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.