2025 MOT results
Chevrolet Captiva common problems
The most common reason a Chevrolet Captiva fails its MOT is a brake light out, on 14.2% of its 2,215 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 8 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: an exhaust leak at 9.3% of failures against 3.4% expected; a headlamp out at 12.2% of failures against 5.8% expected; the engine management light on at 10.2% of failures against 5.0% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,741 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 46.7% 2,215 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 14.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 76.7% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Chevrolet Captiva MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Chevrolet Captiva tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 14.2% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.2% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.1% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 10.9% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.2% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 9.4% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.4% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 8.3% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 7.8% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 7.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Brake light out
14.2% of failures 8.1% expected 1.8 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Headlamp out
12.2% of failures 5.8% expected 2.1 times as often
A headlamp out on dipped beam, which is the beam the test checks.
Both bulbs age at the same rate, so a pair usually goes within months of each other.
-
Sidelight out
12.1% of failures 12.3% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Broken coil spring
10.9% of failures 11.0% expected about as expected
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Engine management light on
10.2% of failures 5.0% expected 2 times as often
The engine management light is on, or has been disconnected. Either fails the test.
A cheap code reader on the diagnostic socket will say what the car has stored before you pay for a test.
-
Split joint boot
9.4% of failures 5.4% expected 1.7 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Chevrolet Captiva, on 53.0% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 34.3% against 22.9% expected.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 53.0% |
| Suspension | 40.7% |
| Brakes | 34.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 22.4% |
| Tyres | 19.1% |
| Visibility | 17.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 17.0% |
| Steering | 8.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
76.7% of Chevrolet Captiva tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Chevrolet Captivas, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 27.9% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 27.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 14.7% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 14.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 11.5% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 10.7% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 9.9% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 9.7% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 8.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.0% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 6.9% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Chevrolet Captiva problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Chevrolet Captiva?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Stop lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 14.2% of failed Chevrolet Captiva tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 53.0% of failed tests.
How often does a Chevrolet Captiva fail its MOT?
46.7% of Chevrolet Captiva tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,741 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 35 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Chevrolet Captiva than on other cars?
Yes. “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 9.3% of its failures against 3.4% for cars of the same age, and “Headlamp: not working on dipped beam” appears on 12.2% of its failures against 5.8% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Chevrolet Captiva aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 4,741 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.