2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Tigra common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Tigra fails its MOT is a weak handbrake, on 16.0% of its 2,503 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a rear fog lamp out at 7.0% of failures against 1.8% expected; a weak handbrake at 16.0% of failures against 6.2% expected; corroded brake pipes at 7.1% of failures against 3.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 5,339 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 46.9% 2,503 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 14.1% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 72.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Tigra MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Tigra 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 |
|---|---|
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 16.0% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 15.2% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 9.1% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 7.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.5% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 7.1% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.8% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.5% |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 6.0% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Weak handbrake
16.0% of failures 6.2% expected 2.6 times as often
The handbrake cannot hold the car to the efficiency the test requires, usually from a stretched cable or seized rear callipers.
On a hill, the handbrake should hold the car with a couple of clicks left in the lever.
-
Broken coil spring
15.2% of failures 8.9% expected 1.7 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.
-
Split joint boot
9.1% of failures 6.8% expected somewhat more often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
7.9% of failures 4.1% expected 1.9 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.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.5% of failures 5.8% expected somewhat more 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.
-
Sidelight out
7.4% of failures 13.8% expected 2 times 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.
Which parts of the car fail
Suspension is the area that most often fails a Vauxhall Tigra, on 41.4% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 39.7% against 26.1% 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 |
|---|---|
| Suspension | 41.4% |
| Brakes | 39.7% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 38.4% |
| Tyres | 19.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 19.2% |
| Visibility | 17.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 14.7% |
| Steering | 10.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
72.8% of Vauxhall Tigra tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Tigras, 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 | 17.5% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 16.6% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 15.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 14.8% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 14.0% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.7% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 8.4% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 7.7% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 7.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 6.5% |
| Flexible brake hoses: slight corrosion to ferrule Brakes | 5.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 5.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Vauxhall Tigra problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Tigra?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” is the most common: it appears on 16.0% of failed Vauxhall Tigra tests. Across categories, suspension is the area that most often fails one, on 41.4% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Tigra fail its MOT?
46.9% of Vauxhall Tigra tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 5,339 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 36 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Vauxhall Tigra than on other cars?
Yes. “Rear fog lamp: not working” appears on 7.0% of its failures against 1.8% for cars of the same age, and “Parking brake efficiency below requirements” appears on 16.0% of its failures against 6.2% 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 Tigra 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 | 5,339 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.