Vauxhall Vivaro MOT failure rate and common faults
176,332 Vauxhall Vivaro vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 41.7% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 27.7% of the time, which makes the Vauxhall Vivaro 51% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
41.7%
failed first time
176,332 MOT tests in 2025
+51%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 27.7%
19 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
148.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 102.6
What fails on a Vauxhall Vivaro 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 Vivaro MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 106.2 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 66.5 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 52.1 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 46.0 |
| Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 43.6 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 43.4 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 38.9 |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction | Engine, emissions and leaks | 38.7 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 38.6 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 38.5 |
Vauxhall Vivaro 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 | 9,163 | 26.6% | 11.4% | 46,300 |
| 2021 | 11,462 | 27.1% | 12.8% | 59,300 |
| 2020 | 9,860 | 24.8% | 14.1% | 70,700 |
| 2019 | 10,156 | 27.3% | 16.5% | 80,300 |
| 2018 | 11,263 | 34.5% | 19.1% | 88,600 |
| 2017 | 12,043 | 38.4% | 21.8% | 101,900 |
| 2016 | 18,484 | 40.0% | 25.1% | 106,200 |
| 2015 | 21,021 | 43.3% | 28.1% | 118,600 |
| 2014 | 12,093 | 48.2% | 31.4% | 126,100 |
| 2013 | 9,511 | 51.3% | 34.3% | 140,000 |
| 2012 | 7,961 | 54.0% | 36.6% | 144,400 |
| 2011 | 9,500 | 52.8% | 38.8% | 148,900 |
| 2010 | 5,804 | 54.4% | 40.7% | 152,400 |
| 2009 | 3,494 | 54.0% | 41.8% | 151,500 |
| 2008 | 7,017 | 52.2% | 42.9% | 156,500 |
| 2007 | 6,980 | 51.5% | 42.7% | 154,500 |
| 2006 | 5,870 | 52.8% | 43.0% | 154,500 |
| 2005 | 4,650 | 51.5% | 42.4% | 156,300 |
Advisories to look for in a Vauxhall Vivaro'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 Vivaro, 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 edge230.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened173.5
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material130.2
- Brake pads: wearing thin122.5
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive96.5
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing78.9
Checking a used Vauxhall Vivaro before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Vauxhall Vivaro fails more often than average on suspension, lights and electrics and brakes. 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.
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.
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.
Vauxhall Vivaro MOT questions
What is the Vauxhall Vivaro MOT failure rate?
41.7% of Vauxhall Vivaro vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 176,332 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 27.7% of the time, so the Vauxhall Vivaro was 51% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Vauxhall Vivaro MOT?
Suspension caused the most failure items, at 308 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play", recorded 106.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Vauxhall Vivaro year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2007 registrations did best: 51.5% failed against an average of 42.7% 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 Vivaro will pass?
No. These are averages across every Vauxhall Vivaro 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 Zafira38.2% failed
- Vauxhall Combo37.5% failed
Ranked close to the Vauxhall Vivaro
- Peugeot Partnerrank 16
- Renault Traficrank 18
- Citroen Berlingorank 20
- Nissan NV200rank 21
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 Vivaro 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.