2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Insignia common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Insignia fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 19.0% of its 58,899 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 4 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a number plate lamp out at 6.7% of failures against 3.6% expected; a broken coil spring at 19.0% of failures against 10.3% expected; worn brake pads at 11.0% of failures against 6.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 180,896 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 32.6% 58,899 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 10.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 60.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Insignia MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Insignia 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 | 19.0% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 11.6% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 11.0% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.7% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.7% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.5% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 5.8% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.6% |
| Shock absorbers: serious fluid leak Suspension | 5.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.5% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
19.0% of failures 10.3% 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
11.6% of failures 8.4% expected somewhat more often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Worn brake pads
11.0% of failures 6.8% expected 1.6 times as 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.
-
Number plate lamp out
6.7% of failures 3.6% expected 1.9 times as often
The lamp over the rear number plate not working, so the plate cannot be read 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
6.7% of failures 5.2% expected somewhat more 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
6.5% of failures 5.7% 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
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Vauxhall Insignia, on 37.3% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 33.5%.
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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 37.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 34.6% |
| Tyres | 26.8% |
| Brakes | 20.6% |
| Visibility | 12.4% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.8% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.9% |
| Road wheels | 1.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
60.4% of Vauxhall Insignia tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Insignias, 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 | 24.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.8% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.2% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 7.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.5% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 7.5% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 5.2% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 4.6% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.3% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Vauxhall Insignia gets older
A 2019 Vauxhall Insignia failed 19.1% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2009 one failed 40.1%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2019 Vauxhall Insignia 19.1% failed, from 7,831 tests
- Worn brake pads 19.8%
- Engine management light on 17.6%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 15.2%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 11.3%
- Tyre pressure warning 7.3%
- Cut tyre 6.9%
2009 Vauxhall Insignia 40.1% failed, from 6,498 tests
- Leaking damper 15.0%
- Broken coil spring 12.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 10.9%
- Engine management light on 10.1%
- Split joint boot 9.2%
- Worn brake pads 8.0%
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 Insignia problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Insignia?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 19.0% of failed Vauxhall Insignia tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 37.3% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Insignia fail its MOT?
32.6% of Vauxhall Insignia tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 180,896 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 45 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Vauxhall Insignia than on other cars?
Yes. “Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” appears on 6.7% of its failures against 3.6% for cars of the same age, and “Coil spring: fractured or broken” appears on 19.0% of its failures against 10.3% 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 Insignia 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 | 180,896 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.