Vauxhall Vivaro MOT pass rate & common failures
The Vauxhall Vivaro appears in 1,218,620 MOT tests spanning model years 2001–2024, and 73.0% of them passed. Vans of a similar age fail 23.1% of the time, so this is 4.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
Best and worst Vivaro years
Ranked across Vivaro 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 2022 (85.0% pass rate); the weakest is 2003 (65.9%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — suspension (14.5%) and lighting & signalling (14.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are track rod end, ball joint and position lamp — track rod end alone was recorded 112,089 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 12.2% in the 0-30k band and 31.8% in the 150k+ band, a 19.6-point spread — more than double.
The electric cars hold up better: 10.8% fail against 29.7% for petrol, a 18.9-point gap across 3,663 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 29.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Vivaro model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 660 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 6,641 | 66.0% | 34.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 17,320 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 32,566 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 46,658 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 57,898 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 65,430 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 64,094 | 68.0% | 32.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 30,861 | 67.7% | 32.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 48,557 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 78,343 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 62,895 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 71,932 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 87,443 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 147,350 | 74.3% | 25.7% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 125,114 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Suspension |
| 2017 | 78,499 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Suspension |
| 2018 | 70,437 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Suspension |
| 2019 | 48,774 | 83.3% | 16.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 35,459 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 28,984 | 84.8% | 15.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 12,002 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 661 | 90.6% | 9.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 42 | 100.0% | 0.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 14.5% | 176,918 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 14.5% | 176,967 |
| 3 | Brakes | 10.5% | 128,622 |
| 4 | Steering | 8.2% | 100,071 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.0% | 72,930 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.6% | 55,874 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.8% | 46,161 |
| 8 | Emissions & environmental | 3.6% | 44,194 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Track rod end | 112,089 |
| 2 | Ball joint | 74,515 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 61,990 |
| 4 | Rbt (sp) | 49,802 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 49,116 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 43,702 |
| 7 | Rigid brake pipes | 43,106 |
| 8 | Linkage ball joints | 42,578 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 29.9% | 364,759 |
| 2 | Suspension | 23.2% | 282,454 |
| 3 | Tyres | 22.1% | 269,255 |
| 4 | Other defects | 12.3% | 149,821 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 10.9% | 132,382 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 119,327 |
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 | 45,679 | 12.2% |
| 30-60k | 172,860 | 18.2% |
| 60-90k | 233,206 | 24.5% |
| 90-120k | 245,225 | 28.9% |
| 120-150k | 222,046 | 31.1% |
| 150k+ | 297,062 | 31.8% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,214,957 | 27.1% |
| Electric | 2,963 | 10.8% |
| Petrol | 700 | 29.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 239,526 | 27.0% |
| 2022 | 242,310 | 26.9% |
| 2023 | 246,392 | 27.3% |
| 2024 | 248,010 | 27.5% |
| 2025 | 242,382 | 26.6% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Vivaro
- Suspension (14.5% 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 (14.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (10.5% 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 Vivaro?
73.0% of the 1,218,620 Vauxhall Vivaro MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 27.1% fail rate, across model years 2001–2024.
What does the Vauxhall Vivaro most often fail its MOT on?
Suspension, recorded in 14.5% of tests, then lighting & signalling (14.5%).
Which Vivaro years are best and worst for MOT results?
2022 has the best pass rate at 85.0% and 2003 the weakest at 65.9%, from 12,002 and 17,320 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Vivaro MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.2% for cars in the 0-30k band and 31.8% for 150k+, a 19.6-point difference.
Is the electric or petrol Vivaro more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 10.8% of the time against 29.7% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,218,620 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.