Chevrolet Cruze MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 13 model years and 35,208 tests, the Chevrolet Cruze passes its MOT 76.4% of the time. Against small family cars of a similar age (21.1% fail rate), the Cruze comes out 2.4pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Cruze years
Ranked across Cruze 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2014 cars pass 78.8% of the time while 2009 cars manage 73.8%, a 4.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (13.3%) and suspension (10.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, position lamp and wipers — coil spring alone was recorded 2,876 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 15.7% in the 0-30k band and 29.4% in the 150k+ band, a 13.7-point spread.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.7pp more often than petrol ones (24.8% vs 23.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 28.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 22.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cruze model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1,858 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 4,624 | 73.9% | 26.1% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 6,928 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 10,213 | 76.8% | 23.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 8,388 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 3,072 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 32 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 13.3% | 4,689 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.4% | 3,675 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.2% | 2,520 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.6% | 1,970 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.6% | 1,967 |
| 6 | Tyres | 5.4% | 1,908 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.6% | 916 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.5% | 184 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 2,876 |
| 2 | Position lamp | 2,162 |
| 3 | Wipers | 1,428 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 1,284 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 1,243 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,139 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 1,099 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 1,071 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 28.5% | 10,047 |
| 2 | Brakes | 23.4% | 8,237 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 18.4% | 6,486 |
| 4 | Suspension | 13.8% | 4,844 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.6% | 4,770 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 11.2% | 3,943 |
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 | 1,161 | 15.7% |
| 30-60k | 8,759 | 19.4% |
| 60-90k | 13,838 | 24.0% |
| 90-120k | 7,734 | 26.4% |
| 120-150k | 2,650 | 27.7% |
| 150k+ | 1,049 | 29.4% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 25,733 | 23.1% |
| Diesel | 9,465 | 24.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,230 | 22.8% |
| 2022 | 7,680 | 22.8% |
| 2023 | 7,189 | 23.7% |
| 2024 | 6,473 | 24.0% |
| 2025 | 5,636 | 25.0% |
What to check before buying a Chevrolet Cruze
- Lighting & signalling (13.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.4% 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.
- Brakes (7.2% 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 Cruze?
76.4% of the 35,208 Chevrolet Cruze MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.6% fail rate, across model years 2009–2021.
What does the Chevrolet Cruze most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 13.3% of tests, then suspension (10.4%).
Which Cruze years are best and worst for MOT results?
2014 has the best pass rate at 78.8% and 2009 the weakest at 73.8%, from 3,072 and 1,858 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Cruze MOT results?
Fail rates run at 15.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.4% for 150k+, a 13.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Cruze more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 23.1% of the time against 24.8% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 35,208 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.