Vauxhall Ampera MOT pass rate & common failures
The Vauxhall Ampera appears in 7,199 MOT tests spanning model years 2003–2016, and 80.2% of them passed. That is effectively the same as all cars of a similar age (19.7% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.5%) and tyres (6.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, malfunction indicator lamp and side repeaters — joints alone was recorded 368 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.0% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 25.2% once past 150k — 2.3× the risk.
Split by fuel, electric examples fail 1.6pp more often than hybrid ones (21.0% vs 19.4%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 27.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 16.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Ampera model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 2,423 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 1,359 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 2,844 | 80.6% | 19.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 555 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 543 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.2% | 448 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.8% | 345 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 4.5% | 323 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.4% | 317 |
| 6 | Suspension | 3.9% | 284 |
| 7 | Visibility | 1.7% | 121 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.4% | 27 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 368 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 322 |
| 3 | Side repeaters | 227 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 185 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 185 |
| 6 | Coil spring | 169 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 160 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 144 |
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 | 27.7% | 1,996 |
| 2 | Brakes | 25.0% | 1,801 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.9% | 642 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.8% | 637 |
| 5 | Other defects | 8.8% | 636 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.7% | 412 |
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 | 218 | 11.0% |
| 30-60k | 1,353 | 14.4% |
| 60-90k | 2,315 | 18.8% |
| 90-120k | 1,942 | 22.6% |
| 120-150k | 942 | 23.7% |
| 150k+ | 429 | 25.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 5,727 | 19.4% |
| Electric | 1,283 | 21.0% |
| Petrol | 113 | 20.3% |
| Other | 76 | 22.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,440 | 16.4% |
| 2022 | 1,438 | 17.4% |
| 2023 | 1,458 | 20.6% |
| 2024 | 1,446 | 21.9% |
| 2025 | 1,417 | 22.6% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Ampera
- 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.
- Tyres (6.2% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Body, structure & corrosion (4.8% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
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 Vauxhall Ampera?
80.2% of the 7,199 Vauxhall Ampera MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.8% fail rate, across model years 2003–2016.
What does the Vauxhall Ampera most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.5% of tests, then tyres (6.2%).
How much does mileage affect Ampera MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 25.2% for 150k+, a 14.2-point difference.
Is the hybrid or electric Ampera more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 19.4% of the time against 21.0% for the electric. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 7,199 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.