Vauxhall Zafira MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 39 model years and 1,459,127 tests, the Vauxhall Zafira passes its MOT 75.8% of the time. MPVs of a similar age fail 23.2% of the time, so this is 1.0pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Zafira years
Ranked across Zafira 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 2018 (86.9% pass rate); the weakest is 2000 (67.5%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (12.1%) and suspension (10.6%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and tread depth — coil spring alone was recorded 78,902 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 29.9% once past 150k — 2.8× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 24.1% of the time against 24.3% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 31.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
How it compares
By model year
Every Zafira model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 711 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 2,689 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 6,887 | 70.1% | 29.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 14,544 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 23,990 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 41,574 | 69.8% | 30.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 50,886 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 75,348 | 69.3% | 30.7% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 105,643 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 120,049 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Suspension |
| 2009 | 76,484 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Suspension |
| 2010 | 126,628 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 92,692 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 109,799 | 77.0% | 23.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 180,428 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 173,051 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 88,211 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 71,043 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 69,801 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 28,602 | 86.9% | 13.1% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 50 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.1% | 177,189 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.6% | 155,037 |
| 3 | Brakes | 7.4% | 108,295 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.9% | 100,316 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 6.2% | 89,968 |
| 6 | Visibility | 5.1% | 74,841 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 54,480 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.5% | 21,224 |
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 | 78,902 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 65,368 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 54,477 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 50,435 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 48,663 |
| 6 | Washers | 47,548 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 47,379 |
| 8 | Catalyst emissions | 46,383 |
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 | 31.1% | 453,035 |
| 2 | Brakes | 29.3% | 427,968 |
| 3 | Suspension | 23.0% | 335,810 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 15.6% | 226,853 |
| 5 | Other defects | 14.4% | 210,452 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 160,976 |
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 | 56,092 | 10.7% |
| 30-60k | 253,019 | 16.3% |
| 60-90k | 427,999 | 22.9% |
| 90-120k | 412,887 | 27.9% |
| 120-150k | 210,188 | 30.1% |
| 150k+ | 93,418 | 29.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 962,770 | 24.3% |
| Diesel | 496,153 | 24.1% |
| Gas/LPG | 181 | 21.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 362,735 | 24.3% |
| 2022 | 324,772 | 23.9% |
| 2023 | 292,743 | 24.5% |
| 2024 | 256,018 | 24.2% |
| 2025 | 222,859 | 24.2% |
What to check before buying a Vauxhall Zafira
- Lighting & signalling (12.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.6% 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.
- Brakes (7.4% 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 Zafira?
75.8% of the 1,459,127 Vauxhall Zafira MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.2% fail rate, across model years 1985–2023.
What does the Vauxhall Zafira most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.1% of tests, then suspension (10.6%).
Which Zafira years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 86.9% and 2000 the weakest at 67.5%, from 28,602 and 2,689 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Zafira MOT results?
Fail rates run at 10.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.9% for 150k+, a 19.2-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Zafira more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 24.1% of the time against 24.3% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,459,127 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.