Vauxhall Astra: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Astra fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 4.8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 640,719 individual Vauxhall Astra tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 71.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 28 in every 100 Vauxhall Astras presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Vauxhall Astra tested had covered 86,770 miles and was built around 2012.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Vauxhall Astra bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. See how it stacks up against the Ford Fiesta.

Looking at a specific Vauxhall Astra rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Vauxhall Astras actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 36 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Astra

1. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.4% of tests (2.7x the national rate for this defect)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2% of tests (2.64x the national rate for this defect)
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.7% of tests (1.77x the national rate for this defect)
4. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.2% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
5. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 1.6% of tests (1.75x the national rate for this defect)
6. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.6% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this defect)
7. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.5% of tests (1.43x the national rate for this defect)
8. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.2% of tests (1.36x the national rate for this defect)
9. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.6% of tests (1.33x the national rate for this defect)
10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3% of tests (1.3x the national rate for this defect)

From 920,184 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Astra tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.14% of these flagged Vauxhall Astra defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Vauxhall Astra pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Vauxhall Astra year:

• 1994 Vauxhall Astra - 72.7% first-time pass, 216 tests
• 1995 Vauxhall Astra - 70.1% first-time pass, 338 tests
• 1996 Vauxhall Astra - 67.8% first-time pass, 283 tests
• 1997 Vauxhall Astra - 66.2% first-time pass, 527 tests
• 1998 Vauxhall Astra - 64.6% first-time pass, 531 tests
• 1999 Vauxhall Astra - 61.3% first-time pass, 1,031 tests
• 2000 Vauxhall Astra - 63.4% first-time pass, 1,679 tests
• 2001 Vauxhall Astra - 65% first-time pass, 3,176 tests
• 2002 Vauxhall Astra - 61.8% first-time pass, 5,659 tests
• 2003 Vauxhall Astra - 64.7% first-time pass, 7,379 tests
• 2004 Vauxhall Astra - 62.4% first-time pass, 8,175 tests
• 2005 Vauxhall Astra - 60.5% first-time pass, 14,970 tests
• 2006 Vauxhall Astra - 59.9% first-time pass, 22,465 tests
• 2007 Vauxhall Astra - 61.6% first-time pass, 36,405 tests
• 2008 Vauxhall Astra - 62.4% first-time pass, 36,976 tests
• 2009 Vauxhall Astra - 63.7% first-time pass, 36,652 tests
• 2010 Vauxhall Astra - 66.9% first-time pass, 49,379 tests
• 2011 Vauxhall Astra - 69.8% first-time pass, 44,296 tests
• 2012 Vauxhall Astra - 72.3% first-time pass, 50,636 tests
• 2013 Vauxhall Astra - 73.5% first-time pass, 57,655 tests
• 2014 Vauxhall Astra - 73.9% first-time pass, 52,110 tests
• 2015 Vauxhall Astra - 75.6% first-time pass, 47,340 tests
• 2016 Vauxhall Astra - 81.8% first-time pass, 56,168 tests
• 2017 Vauxhall Astra - 84.6% first-time pass, 46,294 tests
• 2018 Vauxhall Astra - 85.4% first-time pass, 30,445 tests
• 2019 Vauxhall Astra - 87.9% first-time pass, 21,002 tests
• 2020 Vauxhall Astra - 90.8% first-time pass, 2,446 tests
• 2021 Vauxhall Astra - 91.5% first-time pass, 1,713 tests

Vauxhall Astra by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Vauxhall Astra - 72.7% first-time pass, 445,251 tests
• Diesel Vauxhall Astra - 71.8% first-time pass, 191,331 tests

Other Vauxhall models

• Vauxhall Corsa - 70%
• Vauxhall Mokka - 75.6%
• Vauxhall Zafira - 68.7%
• Vauxhall Insignia - 73.5%
• Vauxhall Vivaro - 59.7%
• Vauxhall Meriva - 68.9%
• Vauxhall Combo - 66.3%
• Vauxhall Adam - 74.6%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Nissan Note - 72.1%
• Ford Transit Connect - 72%
• Lexus Is200 - 72%
• Alfa Romeo Giulietta - 71.9%
• Abarth 500 - 71.9%
• Nissan Juke - 71.8%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Best salvage cars for beginners
• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate