Vauxhall Astravan MOT pass rate & common failures
The Vauxhall Astravan appears in 65,335 MOT tests spanning model years 1987–2017, and 71.2% of them passed. That is effectively the same as vans of a similar age (28.8% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Astravan years
Ranked across Astravan 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 2012 (75.9% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (67.9%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (16.7%) and suspension (16.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, rigid brake pipes and coil spring — headlamp aim alone was recorded 5,858 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the Astravan fails 30.2% of the time in the 0-30k band and 30.2% at 150k+, a spread of only 0.0 points.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.2pp more often than petrol ones (28.9% vs 25.7%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 42.6% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Astravan model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 30 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 84 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 78 | 80.8% | 19.2% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 37 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 52 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Brakes |
| 2001 | 159 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 330 | 63.0% | 37.0% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 1,417 | 67.9% | 32.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 7,893 | 68.9% | 31.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 12,207 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 12,407 | 70.7% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 6,973 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 7,024 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 3,607 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 5,380 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 5,391 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 2,125 | 75.9% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 56 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 16.7% | 10,885 |
| 2 | Suspension | 16.5% | 10,757 |
| 3 | Brakes | 13.1% | 8,573 |
| 4 | Visibility | 7.9% | 5,141 |
| 5 | Tyres | 7.0% | 4,543 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 6.3% | 4,105 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.9% | 3,205 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.9% | 1,244 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 5,858 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 5,213 |
| 3 | Coil spring | 5,052 |
| 4 | Washers | 3,422 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 3,376 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 3,142 |
| 7 | Position lamp | 2,939 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 2,777 |
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 | 42.6% | 27,848 |
| 2 | Suspension | 35.7% | 23,334 |
| 3 | Tyres | 31.0% | 20,280 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 20.0% | 13,033 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 17.4% | 11,404 |
| 6 | Other defects | 12.8% | 8,358 |
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 | 553 | 30.2% |
| 30-60k | 1,324 | 21.1% |
| 60-90k | 4,739 | 23.9% |
| 90-120k | 11,762 | 27.4% |
| 120-150k | 17,359 | 29.0% |
| 150k+ | 28,530 | 30.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 63,678 | 28.9% |
| Petrol | 1,625 | 25.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 18,391 | 29.5% |
| 2022 | 15,571 | 28.8% |
| 2023 | 12,802 | 28.3% |
| 2024 | 10,361 | 28.6% |
| 2025 | 8,210 | 28.7% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Astravan
- Lighting & signalling (16.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (16.5% 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.
- Brakes (13.1% 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 Astravan?
71.2% of the 65,335 Vauxhall Astravan MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 28.8% fail rate, across model years 1987–2017.
What does the Vauxhall Astravan most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 16.7% of tests, then suspension (16.5%).
Which Astravan years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 75.9% and 2003 the weakest at 67.9%, from 2,125 and 1,417 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Astravan MOT results?
Fail rates run at 30.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 30.2% for 150k+, a 0.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Astravan more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 25.7% of the time against 28.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 65,335 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.