2025 MOT results
Chevrolet Cruze common problems
The most common reason a Chevrolet Cruze fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 20.5% of its 1,836 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: the engine management light on at 11.7% of failures against 4.8% expected; an exhaust leak at 5.5% of failures against 3.0% expected; a broken coil spring at 20.5% of failures against 11.3% expected.
- Tests in 2025 4,375 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 42.0% 1,836 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.7% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Chevrolet Cruze MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Chevrolet Cruze 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 |
|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 20.5% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.1% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 8.8% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.3% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 7.5% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.3% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.1% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 5.7% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 5.5% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.6% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
20.5% of failures 11.3% expected 1.8 times as often
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.
-
Sidelight out
18.1% of failures 10.8% expected 1.7 times as often
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.
-
Engine management light on
11.7% of failures 4.8% expected 2.4 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.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
8.8% of failures 4.9% expected 1.8 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Headlamp out
8.3% of failures 5.8% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Worn brake pads
7.5% of failures 5.7% expected somewhat more often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Chevrolet Cruze, on 46.2% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is noise, emissions and leaks, on 20.8% against 10.6% 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 | 46.2% |
| Suspension | 34.2% |
| Brakes | 22.8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 20.8% |
| Tyres | 17.6% |
| Visibility | 17.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.8% |
| Steering | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.3% of Chevrolet Cruze tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Chevrolet Cruzes, 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 | 24.0% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 18.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.7% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.7% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 10.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.3% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.8% |
| Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.1% |
| Fuel pipes corroded Non-component advisories | 2.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Chevrolet Cruze problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Chevrolet Cruze?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 20.5% of failed Chevrolet Cruze tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 46.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Chevrolet Cruze fail its MOT?
42.0% of Chevrolet Cruze tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 4,375 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 42 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Chevrolet Cruze than on other cars?
Yes. “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” appears on 11.7% of its failures against 4.8% for cars of the same age, and “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 5.5% of its failures against 3.0% 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 Cruze 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 | 4,375 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.