Vauxhall Grandland MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 9 model years and 287,698 tests, the Vauxhall Grandland passes its MOT 89.8% of the time. Mid-size SUVs of a similar age fail at 9.4%, so the Grandland sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Grandland years
Ranked across Grandland 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 2021 (91.5% pass rate); the weakest is 2018 (87.7%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — tyres (4.6%) and lighting & signalling (3.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 11,307 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.9% in the 0-30k band and 14.9% in the 150k+ band, a 8.0-point spread — more than double.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.8% fail against 11.7% for diesel, a 1.9-point gap across 283,242 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 11.8% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Grandland model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 289 | 86.9% | 13.2% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 91,638 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 100,948 | 90.4% | 9.6% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 61,399 | 90.9% | 9.1% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 24,828 | 91.5% | 8.6% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 8,081 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Tyres |
| 2023 | 498 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.6% | 13,296 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.0% | 8,548 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.5% | 7,348 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.7% | 4,812 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.4% | 4,136 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.0% | 2,973 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.6% | 1,840 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 1,660 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 11,307 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 5,403 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 5,261 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 3,102 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,911 |
| 6 | Wipers | 2,290 |
| 7 | Brake discs | 2,148 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joints | 1,967 |
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 | 23.3% | 67,150 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.3% | 49,866 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.1% | 23,302 |
| 4 | Suspension | 3.1% | 8,937 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 5,438 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.9% | 5,450 |
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 | 125,207 | 6.9% |
| 30-60k | 133,233 | 11.9% |
| 60-90k | 25,722 | 16.7% |
| 90-120k | 3,085 | 18.4% |
| 120-150k | 344 | 17.4% |
| 150k+ | 94 | 14.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 215,185 | 9.8% |
| Diesel | 68,057 | 11.7% |
| Hybrid | 4,456 | 11.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,105 | 8.5% |
| 2022 | 44,394 | 8.6% |
| 2023 | 65,134 | 9.6% |
| 2024 | 75,298 | 10.4% |
| 2025 | 83,767 | 11.8% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Grandland
- Tyres (4.6% 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 (3.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Vauxhall Grandland?
89.8% of the 287,698 Vauxhall Grandland MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.3% fail rate, across model years 2017–2025.
What does the Vauxhall Grandland most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 4.6% of tests, then lighting & signalling (3.0%).
Which Grandland years are best and worst for MOT results?
2021 has the best pass rate at 91.5% and 2018 the weakest at 87.7%, from 24,828 and 91,638 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Grandland MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 14.9% for 150k+, a 8.0-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Grandland more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 9.8% of the time against 11.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 287,698 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.