2021 Vauxhall Combo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 29,888 MOT tests, the 2021 Vauxhall Combo recorded an 84.1% pass rate. That is 2.0 percentage points worse than vans of a similar age, which fail at 13.9%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (10.9%) and visibility (9.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 2,541 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.2% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 20.5% once past 150k.
The petrol cars hold up better: 10.5% fail against 16.5% for diesel, a 6.0-point gap across 29,572 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.0% of tests failed in 2023 against 15.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.9% | 3,252 |
| 2 | Visibility | 9.3% | 2,791 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.1% | 1,513 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.5% | 1,336 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 343 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.0% | 301 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 2,541 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,986 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 1,403 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 1,390 |
| 5 | Washers | 949 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 696 |
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 | 22.7% | 6,775 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.2% | 5,450 |
| 3 | Visibility | 7.1% | 2,109 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.6% | 1,685 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 1,473 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.5% | 740 |
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 | 7,711 | 11.2% |
| 30-60k | 14,161 | 17.1% |
| 60-90k | 6,454 | 18.2% |
| 90-120k | 1,250 | 18.2% |
| 120-150k | 239 | 16.3% |
| 150k+ | 73 | 20.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 26,783 | 16.5% |
| Petrol | 2,789 | 10.5% |
| Electric | 316 | 10.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 447 | 11.0% |
| 2024 | 15,189 | 16.5% |
| 2025 | 14,227 | 15.4% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Combo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 10.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (10.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (9.3% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (5.1% 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
How many 2021 Vauxhall Combos pass their MOT?
84.1% of the 29,888 2021 Vauxhall Combo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 15.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Vauxhall Combo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.9% of tests, followed by visibility (9.3%).
Does the 2021 Combo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.2% in the 0-30k band to 20.5% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 29,888 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.