Chevrolet Camaro MOT pass rate & common failures
3,823 MOT tests on the Chevrolet Camaro (1980–2023) give it an 88.6% pass rate. All cars of a similar age fail 19.9% of the time, so this is 8.5pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 7.5% of all tests — 4.0 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, catalyst emissions and rear fog lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 115 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 32.0% versus 6.5%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 13.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 14.0% in 2021 to 11.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Camaro model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 34 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 33 | 84.9% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 57 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Brakes |
| 1988 | 36 | 88.9% | 11.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 84 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 44 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 88 | 83.0% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 54 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 37 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 106 | 85.9% | 14.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 129 | 83.0% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 123 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 102 | 95.1% | 4.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 30 | 100.0% | 0.0% | Brakes |
| 1999 | 68 | 82.3% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 40 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 34 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 42 | 81.0% | 19.1% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 96 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 418 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 212 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 246 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 276 | 92.4% | 7.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 215 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 136 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Visibility |
| 2016 | 143 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 278 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2018 | 210 | 90.0% | 10.0% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 191 | 95.8% | 4.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 36 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 40 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 287 |
| 2 | Brakes | 3.5% | 134 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 114 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.7% | 102 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.7% | 102 |
| 6 | Tyres | 2.0% | 75 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 53 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 43 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 115 |
| 2 | Catalyst emissions | 98 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 96 |
| 4 | Individual direction indicators | 84 |
| 5 | Wipers | 68 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 60 |
| 7 | Side repeaters | 59 |
| 8 | Registration plates | 57 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 13.1% | 502 |
| 2 | Suspension | 12.1% | 462 |
| 3 | Tyres | 10.9% | 418 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 6.5% | 249 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 197 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 181 |
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 | 1,119 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,167 | 10.5% |
| 60-90k | 856 | 12.5% |
| 90-120k | 411 | 17.3% |
| 120-150k | 181 | 18.8% |
| 150k+ | 75 | 32.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 795 | 14.0% |
| 2022 | 794 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 772 | 10.2% |
| 2024 | 730 | 10.3% |
| 2025 | 732 | 11.5% |
What to check before buying a Chevrolet Camaro
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (3.5% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (3.0% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Camaro?
88.6% of the 3,823 Chevrolet Camaro MOT tests in this dataset passed, an 11.4% fail rate, across model years 1980–2023.
What does the Chevrolet Camaro most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.5% of tests, then brakes (3.5%).
How much does mileage affect Camaro MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.0% for 150k+, a 25.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 3,823 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.