Vauxhall Cavalier: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Cavalier passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 0.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,103 individual Vauxhall Cavalier tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 77.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 23 in every 100 Vauxhall Cavaliers presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Vauxhall Cavalier tested had covered 94,874 miles and was built around 1991.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Vauxhall Cavalier sits 0.5 points above the national average, ranked 1,546 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Vauxhall Cavalier 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Vauxhall Cavaliers at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Cavalier

1. Emissions levels exceed default limits, 4.5% of tests (12.8x the national rate for this defect)
2. Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, 2.4% of tests (10.68x the national rate for this defect)
3. Emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits, 2.6% of tests (9.66x the national rate for this defect)
4. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2.4% of tests (9.16x the national rate for this defect)
5. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 8% of tests (8.44x the national rate for this defect)
6. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.2% of tests (5.26x the national rate for this defect)
7. Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle., 2.3% of tests (4.34x the national rate for this defect)
8. Lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer, 1.6% of tests (3.19x the national rate for this defect)
9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.4% of tests (2.42x the national rate for this defect)
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.2% of tests (2.03x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,104 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Cavalier tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 3.45% of these flagged Vauxhall Cavalier defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Vauxhall Cavalier

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Vauxhall Cavalier before it actually fails on it.

1. A wheel bearing with excessive play, 5.5% of tests (8.51x the national rate for this advisory)
2. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 8.9% of tests (5.85x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 7.2% of tests (5.82x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 4.3% of tests (3.41x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 16.5% of tests (2.66x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 14.8% of tests (2.66x the national rate for this advisory)
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 7.4% of tests (2.61x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.1% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 3% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 7% of tests (1.35x the national rate for this advisory)

From 1,104 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Cavalier tests, 2024.

Other Vauxhall models

• Vauxhall Corsa - 70%
• Vauxhall Astra - 71.9%
• Vauxhall Mokka - 75.6%
• Vauxhall Zafira - 68.7%
• Vauxhall Insignia - 73.5%
• Vauxhall Vivaro - 59.7%
• Vauxhall Meriva - 68.9%
• Vauxhall Combo - 66.3%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Citroen Dispatch 1200 En-Prise Bhdi Ss - 77.3%
• Mazda Mx-5 - 77.2%
• Mercedes-Benz Citan 109 Pure Cdi - 77.2%
• Volkswagen Golf - 77.1%
• Fiat Ducato - 77.1%
• BMW 540 - 77.1%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate