2025 MOT results
Vauxhall Zafira common problems
The most common reason a Vauxhall Zafira fails its MOT is a broken coil spring, on 14.5% of its 67,155 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: the engine management light on at 12.0% of failures against 5.4% expected; an exhaust leak at 6.3% of failures against 3.1% expected; worn brake pads at 8.9% of failures against 5.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 174,465 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 38.5% 67,155 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 11.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Vauxhall Zafira MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Vauxhall Zafira 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 | 14.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.0% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 8.9% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.6% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.6% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 6.6% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.4% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 6.3% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.1% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 5.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Broken coil spring
14.5% of failures 10.1% expected somewhat more 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
12.0% of failures 5.4% expected 2.2 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
9.8% of failures 10.0% expected about as expected
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.
-
Worn brake pads
8.9% of failures 5.8% expected 1.5 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.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.6% of failures 7.7% expected about as expected
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.
-
Brake light out
6.6% of failures 7.4% expected about as expected
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
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Vauxhall Zafira, on 40.5% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is noise, emissions and leaks, on 21.3% against 11.8% 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 | 40.5% |
| Suspension | 35.7% |
| Brakes | 23.7% |
| Tyres | 22.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 21.3% |
| Visibility | 15.6% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 12.1% |
| Steering | 4.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.9% of Vauxhall Zafira tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Vauxhall Zafiras, 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 | 24.5% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 18.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 13.4% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 10.6% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 10.5% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 8.5% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 8.4% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 6.6% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 6.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 4.7% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.9% |
| Axles: swivel pin or bush slightly worn Suspension | 3.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Vauxhall Zafira gets older
A 2018 Vauxhall Zafira failed 22.9% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2004 one failed 47.5%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2018 Vauxhall Zafira 22.9% failed, from 4,821 tests
- Worn brake pads 14.9%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 12.3%
- Engine management light on 11.1%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 10.2%
- Cut tyre 8.1%
- Washers that do not work 5.6%
2004 Vauxhall Zafira 47.5% failed, from 2,925 tests
- Sidelight out 13.1%
- Engine management light on 11.9%
- Corroded brake pipes 11.9%
- Broken coil spring 10.7%
- Exhaust leak 9.7%
- Brake light out 9.7%
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 Zafira problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Vauxhall Zafira?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Coil spring: fractured or broken” is the most common: it appears on 14.5% of failed Vauxhall Zafira tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 40.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Vauxhall Zafira fail its MOT?
38.5% of Vauxhall Zafira tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 174,465 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 Zafira than on other cars?
Yes. “Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction” appears on 12.0% of its failures against 5.4% for cars of the same age, and “Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases” appears on 6.3% of its failures against 3.1% 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 Zafira 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 | 174,465 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.