2015 Vauxhall Astra — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Vauxhall Astra passed 81.7% of its 289,917 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (15.6% fail rate), the 2015 Astra comes out 2.7pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (7.2%) and lighting & signalling (6.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, brake pads and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 17,320 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 23.1% versus 9.3%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 18.0% of the time against 18.9% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 27.5% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 14.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 7.2% | 20,834 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 19,605 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.5% | 18,963 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.8% | 13,828 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 11,217 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 6,182 |
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 | 17,320 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 9,557 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 9,254 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 8,319 |
| 5 | Washers | 8,193 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 7,419 |
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 | 27.5% | 79,744 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.3% | 58,735 |
| 3 | Other defects | 9.3% | 26,932 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.9% | 17,176 |
| 5 | Suspension | 5.6% | 16,130 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.8% | 13,812 |
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 | 20,554 | 9.3% |
| 30-60k | 108,738 | 15.9% |
| 60-90k | 101,174 | 20.1% |
| 90-120k | 41,323 | 22.4% |
| 120-150k | 12,884 | 22.4% |
| 150k+ | 5,166 | 23.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 190,700 | 18.0% |
| Diesel | 99,203 | 18.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 57,341 | 14.5% |
| 2022 | 58,296 | 16.8% |
| 2023 | 58,528 | 18.5% |
| 2024 | 58,266 | 19.9% |
| 2025 | 57,486 | 21.6% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Astra
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 7.2% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (7.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (6.5% 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 2015 Vauxhall Astras pass their MOT?
81.7% of the 289,917 2015 Vauxhall Astra MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Vauxhall Astra?
Tyres, recorded in 7.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.8%).
Does the 2015 Astra get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.3% in the 0-30k band to 23.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 289,917 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.