2000 Vauxhall Agila — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2000 Vauxhall Agila passed 73.6% of its 2,421 recorded MOT tests. Against city cars of a similar age (28.1% fail rate), the 2000 Agila comes out 1.7pp better. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 16.3% of all tests — 3.9 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are rigid brake pipes, registration plate lamp(s) and ball joint — rigid brake pipes alone was recorded 186 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 16.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 33.3% once past 150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 45.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 26.7% in 2021 to 24.2% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.3% | 395 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.5% | 302 |
| 3 | Suspension | 11.2% | 270 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.4% | 156 |
| 5 | Tyres | 6.1% | 147 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.6% | 111 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rigid brake pipes | 186 |
| 2 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 137 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 137 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 127 |
| 5 | Wipers | 118 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 99 |
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 | 45.3% | 1,096 |
| 2 | Suspension | 35.9% | 870 |
| 3 | Other defects | 31.8% | 769 |
| 4 | Tyres | 31.6% | 765 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 13.5% | 327 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 10.2% | 248 |
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 | 42 | 16.7% |
| 30-60k | 601 | 21.5% |
| 60-90k | 906 | 27.3% |
| 90-120k | 575 | 28.2% |
| 120-150k | 211 | 30.3% |
| 150k+ | 81 | 33.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 749 | 26.7% |
| 2022 | 565 | 27.8% |
| 2023 | 484 | 26.9% |
| 2024 | 350 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 273 | 24.2% |
What to check before buying a 2000 Agila
On a 2000 Agila, lighting & signalling is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 16.3% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Lighting & signalling (16.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (12.5% 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.
- Suspension (11.2% 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.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2000 Vauxhall Agilas pass their MOT?
73.6% of the 2,421 2000 Vauxhall Agila MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 26.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2000 Vauxhall Agila?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.3% of tests, followed by brakes (12.5%).
Does the 2000 Agila get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.7% in the 0-30k band to 33.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,421 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.