2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Meriva common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Meriva fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 26.3% of its 31,234 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 2 faults stand out: a broken coil spring at 26.3% of failures against 10.3% expected; the engine management light on at 8.3% of failures against 5.5% expected.
- Tests in 2025 81,099 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 38.5% 31,234 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 9.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 65.0% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Meriva MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Meriva 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 | 26.3% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.3% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.2% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.9% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.4% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.3% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.8% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.5% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.4% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 5.4% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 5.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
26.3% of failures 10.3% expected 2.6 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.
-
Engine management light on
8.3% of failures 5.5% 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.
-
Sidelight out
7.2% of failures 10.6% expected somewhat less 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.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
6.9% of failures 5.5% expected somewhat more often
The beam pattern points too high, too low, or in the wrong place, so it either dazzles others or lights too little road.
Nothing to do at the roadside, but a garage resets the aim in minutes; a sagging suspension corner or a heavy boot load can throw it out.
-
Worn brake pads
6.4% of failures 5.6% expected about as expected
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.
-
Brake light out
6.3% of failures 7.6% expected somewhat less 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Vauxhall Meriva, on 46.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 37.8%.
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 | 46.2% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 34.5% |
| Brakes | 22.3% |
| Tyres | 19.6% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.7% |
| Visibility | 14.4% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12.7% |
| Steering | 8.2% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
65.0% of Vauxhall Meriva tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Merivas, 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 | 19.9% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 16.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 14.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 11.6% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 9.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.2% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 7.9% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 5.7% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.6% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 4.2% |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Vauxhall Meriva gets older
A 2017 Vauxhall Meriva failed 26.5% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2006 one failed 52.6%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2017 Vauxhall Meriva 26.5% failed, from 4,445 tests
- Broken coil spring 44.4%
- Engine management light on 10.5%
- Lighting fault 7.8%
- Worn brake pads 6.9%
- Tyre pressure warning 5.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 5.0%
2006 Vauxhall Meriva 52.6% failed, from 2,858 tests
- Split joint boot 20.2%
- Sidelight out 14.9%
- Corroded brake pipes 12.9%
- Broken coil spring 11.6%
- Brake light out 11.4%
- Engine management light on 9.8%
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 Meriva problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Meriva?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 26.3% of failed Vauxhall Meriva tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 46.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Meriva fail its MOT?
38.5% of Vauxhall Meriva tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 81,099 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 43 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Vauxhall Meriva than on other cars?
Yes. “Coil spring: fractured or broken” appears on 26.3% of its failures against 10.3% for cars of the same age, and “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” appears on 8.3% of its failures against 5.5% 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 Vauxhall Meriva 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 | 81,099 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.