2017 Vauxhall Astra — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 263,143 MOT tests, the 2017 Vauxhall Astra recorded an 87.8% pass rate. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (11.9% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.8%) and lighting & signalling (5.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, tread depth and headlamp aim — brake pads alone was recorded 9,461 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.1% once past 150k — 3.1× the risk.
The petrol cars hold up better: 11.2% fail against 14.4% for diesel, a 3.1-point gap across 263,143 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.8% | 15,359 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.3% | 13,877 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.8% | 9,973 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.4% | 6,417 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.2% | 3,270 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 3,066 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 9,461 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 6,085 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,503 |
| 4 | Washers | 5,117 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 4,796 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 4,290 |
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 | 25.7% | 67,573 |
| 2 | Brakes | 20.5% | 53,851 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.0% | 21,169 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 7,027 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.3% | 6,061 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 5,393 |
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 | 51,786 | 6.7% |
| 30-60k | 124,293 | 11.8% |
| 60-90k | 62,279 | 15.3% |
| 90-120k | 17,882 | 17.7% |
| 120-150k | 4,808 | 19.2% |
| 150k+ | 2,055 | 21.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 176,933 | 11.2% |
| Diesel | 86,210 | 14.4% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 52,212 | 9.5% |
| 2022 | 52,609 | 11.0% |
| 2023 | 52,816 | 12.5% |
| 2024 | 52,752 | 13.5% |
| 2025 | 52,754 | 14.7% |
What to check before buying a 2017 Astra
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.8% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.8% 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 (5.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (3.8% 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 2017 Vauxhall Astras pass their MOT?
87.8% of the 263,143 2017 Vauxhall Astra MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2017 Vauxhall Astra?
Tyres, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.3%).
Does the 2017 Astra get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.7% in the 0-30k band to 21.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 263,143 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.