2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Corsa common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Corsa fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 17.5% of its 317,715 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a worn steering or suspension joint at 9.0% of failures against 1.5% expected; a broken coil spring at 17.5% of failures against 9.3% expected; a leaking damper at 6.2% of failures against 3.3% expected.
- Tests in 2025 896,675 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 35.4% 317,715 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 7.2% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 56.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Corsa MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Corsa 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 | 17.5% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.6% |
| Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Steering | 9.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.6% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 7.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.9% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.7% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.2% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 6.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.0% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Broken coil spring
17.5% of failures 9.3% expected 1.9 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.
-
Brake light out
9.6% of failures 6.4% expected 1.5 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.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
9.0% of failures 1.5% expected 6 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Engine management light on
7.6% of failures 5.2% expected 1.5 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.
-
Washers that do not work
7.2% of failures 4.9% expected 1.5 times as often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
6.9% of failures 6.4% expected about as expected
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 Vauxhall Corsa, on 38.3% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is steering, on 14.7% against 6.9% 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 | 38.3% |
| Suspension | 35.3% |
| Brakes | 18.3% |
| Tyres | 18.1% |
| Visibility | 17.8% |
| Steering | 14.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
56.0% of Vauxhall Corsa tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Corsas, 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 |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 17.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 13.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.1% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 7.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 5.8% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.8% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.8% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.1% |
| Macpherson strut: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 2.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Vauxhall Corsa gets older
A 2022 Vauxhall Corsa failed 14.2% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2001 one failed 47.4%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Vauxhall Corsa 14.2% failed, from 36,149 tests
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 39.3%
- Cut tyre 12.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.1%
- Worn brake pads 5.9%
- Headlamp aim set too high 5.8%
- Washers that do not work 4.6%
2001 Vauxhall Corsa 47.4% failed, from 2,381 tests
- Split joint boot 13.9%
- Broken coil spring 12.5%
- Exhaust leak 10.0%
- Sidelight out 9.4%
- Weak handbrake 8.7%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 8.2%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Vauxhall Corsa problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Corsa?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 17.5% of failed Vauxhall Corsa tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 38.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Corsa fail its MOT?
35.4% of Vauxhall Corsa tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 896,675 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 39 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Vauxhall Corsa than on other cars?
Yes. “Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 9.0% of its failures against 1.5% for cars of the same age, and “Coil spring: fractured or broken” appears on 17.5% of its failures against 9.3% 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 Vauxhall Corsa 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 | 896,675 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.