Chevrolet Aveo MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 14 model years and 67,546 tests, the Chevrolet Aveo passes its MOT 69.2% of the time. Superminis of a similar age fail 24.3% of the time, so this is 6.5pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Aveo years
Ranked across Aveo years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2013 (72.5% pass rate); the weakest is 2008 (66.7%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (17.4%) and lighting & signalling (15.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are pins and bushes, position lamp and track rod end — pins and bushes alone was recorded 5,089 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 33.6% versus 20.0%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 29.8% of the time against 30.9% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 33.1% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Aveo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6,105 | 66.7% | 33.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 23,080 | 67.2% | 32.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 10,277 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 8,427 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 10,019 | 72.0% | 28.0% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 8,782 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 835 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 17.4% | 11,763 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 15.4% | 10,403 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.9% | 7,348 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.7% | 4,551 |
| 5 | Steering | 6.7% | 4,529 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.5% | 3,681 |
| 7 | Tyres | 5.4% | 3,670 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.3% | 3,608 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pins and bushes | 5,089 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 4,837 |
| 3 | Track rod end | 4,259 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 3,730 |
| 5 | Ball joint | 3,179 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 2,952 |
| 7 | Headlamp aim | 2,841 |
| 8 | Wipers | 2,737 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 33.1% | 22,377 |
| 2 | Tyres | 29.2% | 19,720 |
| 3 | Brakes | 26.6% | 17,946 |
| 4 | Other defects | 14.4% | 9,712 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 13.3% | 8,963 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.2% | 8,249 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 4,161 | 20.0% |
| 30-60k | 22,539 | 27.9% |
| 60-90k | 27,344 | 32.9% |
| 90-120k | 10,928 | 34.9% |
| 120-150k | 2,095 | 34.6% |
| 150k+ | 440 | 33.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 62,696 | 30.9% |
| Diesel | 4,840 | 29.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,611 | 30.4% |
| 2022 | 15,205 | 30.6% |
| 2023 | 13,814 | 31.0% |
| 2024 | 11,961 | 31.4% |
| 2025 | 9,955 | 30.8% |
What to check before buying a Chevrolet Aveo
- Suspension (17.4% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Lighting & signalling (15.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Chevrolet Aveo?
69.2% of the 67,546 Chevrolet Aveo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 30.8% fail rate, across model years 2007–2020.
What does the Chevrolet Aveo most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 17.4% of tests, then lighting & signalling (15.4%).
Which Aveo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2013 has the best pass rate at 72.5% and 2008 the weakest at 66.7%, from 8,782 and 6,105 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Aveo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 20.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 33.6% for 150k+, a 13.7-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Aveo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 29.8% of the time against 30.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 67,546 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.