Vauxhall Cascada MOT pass rate & common failures
16,782 MOT tests on the Vauxhall Cascada (2013–2018) give it an 83.3% pass rate. That is 4.1 percentage points worse than coupes & convertibles of a similar age, which fail at 12.6%. Its most common failure areas are suspension, tyres and brakes.
Best and worst Cascada years
Ranked across Cascada 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 2017 (87.1% pass rate); the weakest is 2013 (81.6%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (7.6%) and tyres (5.3%) 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 1,380 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 9.5% in the 0-30k band and 23.3% in the 150k+ band, a 13.7-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 3.0pp more often than petrol ones (18.2% vs 15.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 25.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 15.4% of tests failed in 2021 against 18.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Cascada model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 4,755 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 4,255 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Suspension |
| 2015 | 3,366 | 83.7% | 16.3% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 2,960 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 1,174 | 87.1% | 12.9% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 272 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Suspension |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.6% | 1,270 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.3% | 882 |
| 3 | Brakes | 4.2% | 706 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 3.7% | 626 |
| 5 | Visibility | 2.7% | 454 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.6% | 271 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.9% | 150 |
| 8 | Other defects | 0.4% | 59 |
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 | 1,380 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 574 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 430 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 385 |
| 5 | Washers | 271 |
| 6 | Wipers | 241 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 207 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 162 |
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 | 25.9% | 4,340 |
| 2 | Brakes | 19.0% | 3,189 |
| 3 | Suspension | 7.0% | 1,168 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.1% | 1,026 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 5.1% | 865 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 2.2% | 368 |
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 | 2,894 | 9.5% |
| 30-60k | 7,557 | 16.6% |
| 60-90k | 4,365 | 19.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,455 | 22.1% |
| 120-150k | 388 | 20.9% |
| 150k+ | 116 | 23.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 8,635 | 18.2% |
| Petrol | 8,147 | 15.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,372 | 15.4% |
| 2022 | 3,331 | 14.9% |
| 2023 | 3,437 | 18.0% |
| 2024 | 3,343 | 17.2% |
| 2025 | 3,299 | 18.0% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Cascada
- Suspension (7.6% 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.
- Tyres (5.3% 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.
- Brakes (4.2% 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 Cascada?
83.3% of the 16,782 Vauxhall Cascada MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.7% fail rate, across model years 2013–2018.
What does the Vauxhall Cascada most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 7.6% of tests, then tyres (5.3%).
Which Cascada years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 87.1% and 2013 the weakest at 81.6%, from 1,174 and 4,755 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Cascada MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.3% for 150k+, a 13.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Cascada more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 15.2% of the time against 18.2% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 16,782 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.