General Motors Chevrolet MOT pass rate & common failures
1,702 MOT tests on the General Motors Chevrolet (1980–2024) give it an 87.3% pass rate. That is 8.7 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 21.3%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 8.9% of all tests — 4.2 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rear fog lamp, headlamp aim and catalyst emissions — rear fog lamp alone was recorded 54 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.3% versus 8.0%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 12.8% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 15.2% in 2021 to 10.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Chevrolet model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 36 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Brakes |
| 1987 | 33 | 84.9% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 40 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Brakes |
| 1989 | 33 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 41 | 80.5% | 19.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 43 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 50 | 82.0% | 18.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 58 | 82.8% | 17.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 50 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 76 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 56 | 85.7% | 14.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 95 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 96 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 53 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 40 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 41 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 30 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 65 | 90.8% | 9.2% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2012 | 47 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2013 | 31 | 93.5% | 6.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 69 | 97.1% | 2.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 93 | 92.5% | 7.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 67 | 91.0% | 9.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 85 | 91.8% | 8.2% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 62 | 91.9% | 8.1% | Brakes |
| 2019 | 45 | 93.3% | 6.7% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.9% | 152 |
| 2 | Brakes | 4.8% | 81 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 50 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.2% | 38 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.2% | 37 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.8% | 31 |
| 7 | Tyres | 1.7% | 29 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.7% | 28 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear fog lamp | 54 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 54 |
| 3 | Catalyst emissions | 42 |
| 4 | Service brake performance | 32 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 31 |
| 6 | Rigid brake pipes | 29 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 29 |
| 8 | Registration plates | 28 |
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 | 12.8% | 217 |
| 2 | Suspension | 12.6% | 214 |
| 3 | Tyres | 10.9% | 185 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 7.6% | 129 |
| 5 | Steering | 5.4% | 92 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.6% | 78 |
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 | 514 | 8.0% |
| 30-60k | 446 | 13.5% |
| 60-90k | 410 | 14.1% |
| 90-120k | 176 | 15.3% |
| 120-150k | 75 | 14.7% |
| 150k+ | 73 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,620 | 12.3% |
| Diesel | 80 | 21.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 394 | 15.2% |
| 2022 | 339 | 12.1% |
| 2023 | 340 | 13.2% |
| 2024 | 325 | 12.0% |
| 2025 | 304 | 10.2% |
What to check before buying a General Motors Chevrolet
- Lighting & signalling (8.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (4.8% 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 (2.9% 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 General Motors Chevrolet?
87.3% of the 1,702 General Motors Chevrolet MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.7% fail rate, across model years 1980–2024.
What does the General Motors Chevrolet most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.9% of tests, then brakes (4.8%).
How much does mileage affect Chevrolet MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.3% for 150k+, a 15.3-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,702 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.