Vauxhall Viva MOT pass rate & common failures
The Vauxhall Viva appears in 207,920 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2019, and 89.7% of them passed. City cars of a similar age fail 12.5% of the time, so this is 2.1pp better than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Viva years
Ranked across Viva 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2019 cars pass 92.8% of the time while 2015 cars manage 86.9%, a 5.9-point spread.
No single area dominates — tyres (5.4%) and visibility (4.9%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system and tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 9,802 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 6.6% in the 0-30k band and 22.0% in the 150k+ band, a 15.4-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 22.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 14.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Viva model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 29,443 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 77,739 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 53,428 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Visibility |
| 2018 | 29,562 | 92.3% | 7.8% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 17,731 | 92.8% | 7.2% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.4% | 11,260 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.9% | 10,118 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.6% | 5,373 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.0% | 4,083 |
| 5 | Brakes | 1.6% | 3,297 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.1% | 2,183 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 0.9% | 1,933 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.5% | 971 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 9,802 |
| 2 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 4,877 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 3,018 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,934 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,903 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 2,095 |
| 7 | Exhaust system | 1,740 |
| 8 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 1,320 |
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 | 22.6% | 46,897 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.3% | 17,306 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.0% | 12,568 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.9% | 12,217 |
| 5 | Suspension | 5.2% | 10,833 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.4% | 7,093 |
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 | 105,938 | 6.6% |
| 30-60k | 79,387 | 12.5% |
| 60-90k | 18,902 | 19.3% |
| 90-120k | 3,072 | 24.1% |
| 120-150k | 459 | 26.4% |
| 150k+ | 132 | 22.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 37,235 | 6.9% |
| 2022 | 42,007 | 8.1% |
| 2023 | 42,179 | 9.3% |
| 2024 | 42,529 | 12.0% |
| 2025 | 43,970 | 14.6% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Viva
- Tyres (5.4% 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.
- Visibility (4.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (2.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 Viva?
89.7% of the 207,920 Vauxhall Viva MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 10.3% fail rate, across model years 1980–2019.
What does the Vauxhall Viva most often fail its MOT on?
Tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests, then visibility (4.9%).
Which Viva years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 92.8% and 2015 the weakest at 86.9%, from 17,731 and 29,443 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Viva MOT results?
Fail rates run at 6.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.0% for 150k+, a 15.4-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 207,920 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.