2025 MOT results
Chevrolet Spark common problems
The most common reason a Chevrolet Spark fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 19.9% of its 6,081 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: corroded brake pipes at 13.0% of failures against 1.6% expected; a weak or uneven footbrake at 7.0% of failures against 1.5% expected; a brake light out at 15.5% of failures against 7.6% expected.
- Tests in 2025 13,365 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 45.5% 6,081 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 71.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Chevrolet Spark MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Chevrolet Spark 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 |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.9% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 15.5% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 13.0% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.8% |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding Brakes | 11.1% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 9.7% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 8.1% |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle Brakes | 7.0% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.3% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 4.8% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Sidelight out
19.9% of failures 11.2% expected 1.8 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.
-
Brake light out
15.5% of failures 7.6% expected 2 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.
-
Corroded brake pipes
13.0% of failures 1.6% expected 8.1 times as often
Corroded or damaged brake pipework. It is a safety item, and on older cars the rear pipes go first.
Look along the pipes under the sills with a torch; flaking rust rather than surface staining is the problem.
-
Broken coil spring
12.8% of failures 11.3% 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.
-
Weak or uneven footbrake
11.1% of failures 3.1% expected 3.6 times as often
The footbrake is either weak overall or pulls unevenly across an axle, which the rolling road measures.
A pull to one side under firm braking, or a long pedal, is the sign to get it looked at before a test.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
9.7% of failures 4.9% expected 2 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Chevrolet Spark, on 50.8% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 35.2% against 22.1% 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 | 50.8% |
| Suspension | 35.9% |
| Brakes | 35.2% |
| Visibility | 17.6% |
| Tyres | 16.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 11.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.4% |
| Steering | 4.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
71.0% of Chevrolet Spark tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Chevrolet Sparks, 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 |
|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 30.7% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 19.5% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 12.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.2% |
| Macpherson strut: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.8% |
| Service brake performance: binding but not excessively Brakes | 7.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 6.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 6.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.0% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 5.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 4.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Chevrolet Spark problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Chevrolet Spark?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 19.9% of failed Chevrolet Spark tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 50.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Chevrolet Spark fail its MOT?
45.5% of Chevrolet Spark tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 13,365 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 34 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Chevrolet Spark than on other cars?
Yes. “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 13.0% of its failures against 1.6% for cars of the same age, and “Service brake imbalance: across an axle” appears on 7.0% of its failures against 1.5% 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 Spark 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 | 13,365 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.