Vauxhall Antara MOT pass rate & common failures
The Vauxhall Antara appears in 142,730 MOT tests spanning model years 2007–2021, and 74.1% of them passed. Against mid-size SUVs of a similar age (20.5% fail rate), the Antara comes out 5.3pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Antara years
Ranked across Antara 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
The strongest year on this record is 2016 (77.8% pass rate); the weakest is 2007 (69.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.4% of tests against 10.2% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, stop lamp and pins and bushes — position lamp alone was recorded 12,508 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 30.6% once past 150k — 2.4× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 25.8% of the time against 25.9% for diesel.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 28.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 28.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Antara model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3,018 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 4,422 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 5,301 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 1,914 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 6,141 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 40,355 | 73.3% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 45,578 | 74.9% | 25.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 17,315 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 13,437 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 5,184 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 60 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 19.4% | 27,754 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.2% | 14,563 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.5% | 12,087 |
| 4 | Tyres | 5.9% | 8,470 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.6% | 6,613 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.6% | 6,579 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.7% | 3,807 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.3% | 1,839 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 12,508 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 9,939 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 8,515 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 6,293 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 5,430 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 5,185 |
| 7 | Coil spring | 4,855 |
| 8 | Brake pads | 4,725 |
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 | 28.9% | 41,237 |
| 2 | Suspension | 28.5% | 40,646 |
| 3 | Tyres | 28.2% | 40,214 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 19.9% | 28,426 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 12.0% | 17,140 |
| 6 | Other defects | 10.7% | 15,228 |
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 | 2,596 | 12.9% |
| 30-60k | 30,585 | 20.5% |
| 60-90k | 60,215 | 26.1% |
| 90-120k | 36,882 | 29.4% |
| 120-150k | 10,187 | 30.1% |
| 150k+ | 2,186 | 30.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 140,486 | 25.9% |
| Petrol | 2,244 | 25.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31,218 | 23.3% |
| 2022 | 30,560 | 24.9% |
| 2023 | 29,335 | 26.2% |
| 2024 | 27,120 | 27.3% |
| 2025 | 24,497 | 28.5% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Antara
- Lighting & signalling (19.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.2% 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.
- Brakes (8.5% 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.
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 Antara?
74.1% of the 142,730 Vauxhall Antara MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 25.9% fail rate, across model years 2007–2021.
What does the Vauxhall Antara most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.4% of tests, then suspension (10.2%).
Which Antara years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 77.8% and 2007 the weakest at 69.5%, from 5,184 and 3,018 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Antara MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.6% for 150k+, a 17.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Antara more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.8% of the time against 25.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 142,730 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.