2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Vectra common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Vectra fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 16.6% of its 9,788 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a braking fault at 7.9% of failures against 2.5% expected; corroded brake pipes at 8.5% of failures against 3.4% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 6.7% of failures against 3.4% expected.
- Tests in 2025 22,040 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 44.4% 9,788 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 12.4% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 75.3% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Vectra MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Vectra 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 | 16.6% |
| Parking brake efficiency below requirements Brakes | 11.7% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.7% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.6% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 8.5% |
| Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side Brakes | 7.9% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.3% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.9% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.9% |
| Linkage ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 6.7% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 6.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
16.6% of failures 8.5% expected 2 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.
-
Weak handbrake
11.7% of failures 6.3% expected 1.9 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.
-
Headlamp aim out of line
11.7% of failures 8.6% 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.
-
Sidelight out
8.6% of failures 13.6% expected 1.7 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.
-
Corroded brake pipes
8.5% of failures 3.4% expected 2.5 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.
-
Braking fault
7.9% of failures 2.5% expected 3.2 times as often
A braking fault, which the test checks both by inspection and by measuring performance on a rolling road.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Vauxhall Vectra, on 42.7% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is brakes, on 38.7% against 26.5% 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 | 42.7% |
| Suspension | 42.6% |
| Brakes | 38.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 18.6% |
| Tyres | 18.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 18.0% |
| Visibility | 16.5% |
| Steering | 3.9% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
75.3% of Vauxhall Vectra tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Vectras, 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 | 22.6% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 21.8% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 17.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 14.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 13.6% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 12.2% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 9.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 8.7% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 8.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 7.5% |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective Body, chassis, structure | 5.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Vauxhall Vectra problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Vectra?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 16.6% of failed Vauxhall Vectra tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 42.7% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Vectra fail its MOT?
44.4% of Vauxhall Vectra tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 22,040 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 44 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Vauxhall Vectra than on other cars?
Yes. “Parking brake performance: inoperative on one side” appears on 7.9% of its failures against 2.5% for cars of the same age, and “Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded” appears on 8.5% of its failures against 3.4% 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 Vectra 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 | 22,040 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.