Vauxhall Corsa MOT Pass Rate
The Vauxhall Corsa has an MOT pass rate of 74.9%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 171,824 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 329th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Vauxhall Corsa is tyres, at 24.7% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest Vauxhall Corsa years are 2014, 2013 and 2005, which fail more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 September 2026.
- Vauxhall Corsa MOT pass rate
- 74.9%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 171,824
Ranked 329 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Vauxhall Corsa fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 24.7% | 47.4 | 81,368 |
| Brakes | 23% | 44.2 | 75,876 |
| Suspension | 13.4% | 25.7 | 44,181 |
| Lights and signalling | 12.6% | 24.1 | 41,393 |
| Other items | 6.3% | 12 | 20,627 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 5% | 9.7 | 16,638 |
| Fuel system | 3.8% | 7.4 | 12,672 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 3.5% | 6.8 | 11,644 |
| Corrosion | 3.4% | 6.5 | 11,175 |
| Bodywork | 2.5% | 4.9 | 8,336 |
| Steering | 0.8% | 1.5 | 2,507 |
| Electrical | 0.6% | 1.1 | 1,822 |
| Structure | 0.2% | 0.5 | 819 |
| Drivetrain | 0.2% | 0.4 | 710 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Vauxhall Corsa holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | Corsa fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 18.1% | 13.1% | 66,724 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 27.9% | 21.7% | 74,736 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 33.7% | 28.3% | 25,568 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 35.8% | 31.4% | 4,555 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | Corsa fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 19.4% | 25.9% | 67 |
| 1996 | 32.2% | 26.4% | 149 |
| 1997 | 23.5% | 25.5% | 153 |
| 1998 | 19.5% | 24.4% | 329 |
| 1999 | 24.7% | 25.3% | 77 |
| 2000 | 27.1% | 24.5% | 376 |
| 2001 | 27.3% | 25% | 1,008 |
| 2002 | 27% | 25% | 1,482 |
| 2003 | 29% | 25.3% | 2,270 |
| 2004 | 28.8% | 25.3% | 2,455 |
| 2005 | 30.1% | 25.4% | 3,068 |
| 2006 | 29.1% | 25.3% | 5,541 |
| 2007 | 28.8% | 25.2% | 9,052 |
| 2008 | 28.1% | 25.3% | 11,701 |
| 2009 | 28.2% | 24.9% | 10,743 |
| 2010 | 27.2% | 24.5% | 12,531 |
| 2011 | 25.5% | 23.4% | 14,355 |
| 2012 | 25.8% | 22.6% | 16,311 |
| 2013 | 26.5% | 21.6% | 16,791 |
| 2014 | 26.1% | 20.2% | 14,946 |
| 2015 | 22.7% | 18.7% | 15,433 |
| 2016 | 20.9% | 17.3% | 12,323 |
| 2017 | 19.4% | 15.6% | 8,583 |
| 2018 | 17.8% | 14.7% | 6,732 |
| 2019 | 16.2% | 13.8% | 5,338 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Vauxhall Corsa MOT questions
Is the Vauxhall Corsa reliable?
On MOT results the Vauxhall Corsa is worse than average: it passes 74.9% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 329th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 25.2% is 3.6 percentage points higher than the 21.6% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Vauxhall Corsa usually fail its MOT on?
Across 171,824 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Vauxhall Corsa were tyres (24.7%), brakes (23%) and suspension (13.4%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which Vauxhall Corsa years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest years of the Vauxhall Corsa were 2014 (26.1% fail rate against 20.2% for all cars first registered that year, 14,946 tests), 2013 (26.5% fail rate against 21.6% for all cars first registered that year, 16,791 tests) and 2005 (30.1% fail rate against 25.4% for all cars first registered that year, 3,068 tests). Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the Vauxhall Corsa get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Vauxhall Corsa fails 18.1% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 35.8% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 66,724 and 4,555 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Vauxhall Corsa compare with the national average?
The Vauxhall Corsa passes 74.9% of MOT tests, 4.2 percentage points below the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 329th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Vauxhall Corsa
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Related reading
Vauxhall Corsa Depreciation: Best Year to Buy Used for Value
When Does a Vauxhall Corsa Stop Depreciating?
Vauxhall Corsa: Best Age to Buy for Lowest Cost Per Mile
Vauxhall Corsa Resale Value: How Well Does It Hold?
Should I Buy a 2018 Vauxhall Corsa: Honest Guide
2019 Vauxhall Corsa SRi: Is It Any Good
2017 Vauxhall Corsa Common Problems and Reliability
Buying a 2016 Vauxhall Corsa: What Dave Would Check
Known problems to watch for
Other Vauxhall models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 171,824 tests. Last updated 3 September 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/vauxhall/corsa