Vauxhall Mokka MOT failure rate and common faults
252,609 Vauxhall Mokka cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 30.9% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 23.0% of the time, which makes the Vauxhall Mokka 34% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
30.9%
failed first time
252,609 MOT tests in 2025
+34%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 23.0%
200 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
78.6
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 89.1
What fails on a Vauxhall Mokka 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 Mokka MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 101.1 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 57.3 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 40.2 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 29.6 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 27.0 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | Tyres | 25.9 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 23.7 |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Steering | 23.1 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 21.9 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 21.0 |
Vauxhall Mokka 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 | 22,725 | 10.7% | 11.4% | 22,100 |
| 2021 | 12,988 | 16.7% | 12.8% | 27,800 |
| 2019 | 22,301 | 22.6% | 16.5% | 40,200 |
| 2018 | 31,779 | 29.1% | 19.1% | 47,200 |
| 2017 | 36,727 | 33.0% | 21.8% | 55,400 |
| 2016 | 39,773 | 37.5% | 25.1% | 62,900 |
| 2015 | 42,358 | 37.3% | 28.1% | 69,600 |
| 2014 | 31,030 | 36.9% | 31.4% | 80,100 |
| 2013 | 12,180 | 37.5% | 34.3% | 90,600 |
| 2012 | 748 | 42.8% | 36.6% | 92,700 |
Advisories to look for in a Vauxhall Mokka'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 Mokka, 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 edge207.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing171.3
- Brake pads: wearing thin107.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened91.8
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive79.2
- Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases49.5
Checking a used Vauxhall Mokka before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Vauxhall Mokka fails more often than average on suspension, windscreen, wipers and mirrors and steering. 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.
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.
Steering
With the engine running, rock the wheel gently: there should be almost no free play. Listen for knocks on full lock and look for power steering fluid leaks.
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 Mokka cars tested: Petrol 74%, Diesel 22%, Electric 4%. Average age at test 8.1 years, average recorded mileage 57,000.
Vauxhall Mokka MOT questions
What is the Vauxhall Mokka MOT failure rate?
30.9% of Vauxhall Mokka cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 252,609 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 23.0% of the time, so the Vauxhall Mokka was 34% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Vauxhall Mokka MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 214 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 101.1 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Vauxhall Mokka year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 10.7% failed against an average of 11.4% 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 Mokka will pass?
No. These are averages across every Vauxhall Mokka 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 Insignia32.6% failed
- Vauxhall Vivaro41.7% failed
- Vauxhall Zafira38.2% failed
- Vauxhall Combo37.5% failed
Ranked close to the Vauxhall Mokka
- MG 3rank 197
- Renault Zoerank 198
- Citroen C4rank 199
- Peugeot 5008rank 201
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 Mokka 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.