2012 Vauxhall Meriva — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Vauxhall Meriva passed 78.8% of its 57,884 recorded MOT tests. MPVs of a similar age fail 22.6% of the time, so this is 1.4pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: suspension, recorded in 11.2% of tests against 6.8% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 5,240 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.3% versus 11.5%.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 20.8% of the time against 22.2% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 28.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 19.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.2% | 6,497 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 6.8% | 3,945 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.8% | 3,351 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.5% | 2,632 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 1,911 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.0% | 1,743 |
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 | 5,240 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 2,152 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,499 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 1,298 |
| 5 | Washers | 1,102 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,088 |
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 | 28.9% | 16,758 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.7% | 12,586 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.2% | 11,100 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 17.5% | 10,131 |
| 5 | Other defects | 11.0% | 6,343 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.8% | 3,958 |
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 | 2,260 | 11.5% |
| 30-60k | 17,980 | 18.1% |
| 60-90k | 24,513 | 22.0% |
| 90-120k | 10,165 | 24.9% |
| 120-150k | 2,343 | 27.4% |
| 150k+ | 572 | 27.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 39,511 | 20.8% |
| Diesel | 18,373 | 22.2% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,288 | 19.5% |
| 2022 | 12,193 | 20.4% |
| 2023 | 11,921 | 21.9% |
| 2024 | 11,148 | 21.4% |
| 2025 | 10,334 | 23.2% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Meriva
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 11.2% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (11.2% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (6.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.8% 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.
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 2012 Vauxhall Merivas pass their MOT?
78.8% of the 57,884 2012 Vauxhall Meriva MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 21.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Vauxhall Meriva?
Suspension, recorded in 11.2% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (6.8%).
Does the 2012 Meriva get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.5% in the 0-30k band to 27.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 57,884 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.