2021 Vauxhall Corsa — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2021 Vauxhall Corsa passed 89.6% of its 92,010 recorded MOT tests. Superminis of a similar age fail 7.7% of the time, so this is 2.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in visibility, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: visibility, recorded in 7.2% of tests against 3.9% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, headlamp aim and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 7,397 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 19.3% versus 8.6%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.7% fail against 13.8% for electric, a 4.1-point gap across 90,677 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 21.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.8% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 7.2% | 6,585 |
| 2 | Tyres | 3.9% | 3,595 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.5% | 2,250 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 2.1% | 1,902 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.0% | 925 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.3% | 261 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 7,397 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,598 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,339 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 1,303 |
| 5 | Brake discs | 891 |
| 6 | Washers | 768 |
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 | 21.8% | 20,082 |
| 2 | Brakes | 14.8% | 13,610 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.5% | 4,161 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.9% | 3,570 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.4% | 1,249 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.7% | 594 |
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 | 59,740 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 30,069 | 13.5% |
| 60-90k | 1,953 | 14.9% |
| 90-120k | 212 | 19.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 78,127 | 9.7% |
| Electric | 12,550 | 13.8% |
| Diesel | 1,328 | 13.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 34 | 8.8% |
| 2023 | 2,482 | 5.0% |
| 2024 | 44,483 | 9.4% |
| 2025 | 44,983 | 11.6% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Corsa
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 7.2% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (7.2% 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.
- Tyres (3.9% 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 (2.5% 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 Corsas pass their MOT?
89.6% of the 92,010 2021 Vauxhall Corsa MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 10.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Vauxhall Corsa?
Visibility, recorded in 7.2% of tests, followed by tyres (3.9%).
Does the 2021 Corsa get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.6% in the 0-30k band to 19.3% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 92,010 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.