2008 Vauxhall Astra — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 296,441 MOT tests, the 2008 Vauxhall Astra recorded a 71.6% pass rate. That is 2.3 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 26.2%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (16.6%) and lighting & signalling (14.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and pins and bushes — coil spring alone was recorded 29,999 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 31.2% versus 16.6%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 28.0% fail against 29.6% for diesel, a 1.7-point gap across 296,431 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 37.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.6% | 49,093 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 42,525 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.7% | 28,650 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.6% | 19,675 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 5.9% | 17,543 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.9% | 17,377 |
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 | 29,999 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 14,217 |
| 3 | Pins and bushes | 14,023 |
| 4 | Washers | 12,609 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 12,288 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 10,415 |
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 | 37.3% | 110,647 |
| 2 | Suspension | 34.1% | 101,213 |
| 3 | Tyres | 31.4% | 92,971 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 25.0% | 74,050 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.4% | 39,854 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.2% | 36,141 |
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 | 2,283 | 16.6% |
| 30-60k | 23,453 | 21.6% |
| 60-90k | 74,650 | 26.2% |
| 90-120k | 101,111 | 29.3% |
| 120-150k | 61,786 | 31.1% |
| 150k+ | 32,977 | 31.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 217,249 | 28.0% |
| Diesel | 79,182 | 29.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 79,645 | 28.8% |
| 2022 | 69,328 | 28.0% |
| 2023 | 59,471 | 28.4% |
| 2024 | 49,040 | 28.5% |
| 2025 | 38,957 | 28.3% |
What to check before buying a 2008 Astra
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 16.6% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (16.6% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (9.7% 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
How many 2008 Vauxhall Astras pass their MOT?
71.6% of the 296,441 2008 Vauxhall Astra MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 28.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2008 Vauxhall Astra?
Suspension, recorded in 16.6% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (14.3%).
Does the 2008 Astra get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.6% in the 0-30k band to 31.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 296,441 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.