Vauxhall Corsa Se: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Corsa Se passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 12 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 15,823 individual Vauxhall Corsa Se tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 88.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 11 in every 100 Vauxhall Corsa Ses 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 Corsa Se tested had covered 26,430 miles and was built around 2020.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Vauxhall Corsa Se sits 12 points above the national average, ranked 897 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 Corsa Se 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 Corsa Ses at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Corsa Se

1. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 7.5% of tests (3.94x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.9% of tests
3. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 1.2% of tests
4. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests
5. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 0.9% of tests
6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.5% of tests
7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.4% of tests
8. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.3% of tests
9. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 0.3% of tests
10. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 0.3% of tests

From 15,800 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Corsa Se tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.53% of these flagged Vauxhall Corsa Se defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Vauxhall Corsa Se

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 Corsa Se before it actually fails on it.

1. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 6.6% of tests (2.07x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. An obstruction significantly affecting the driver's view of the road through the swept area of the windscreen or an obligatory external mirror not visible, 0.1% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 21.6% of tests, also fails
4. A tyre seriously damaged, 8.6% of tests, also fails
5. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 8.6% of tests
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 6.8% of tests, also fails
7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 0.5% of tests, also fails
8. Excessive fluctuation in brake effort through each wheel revolution., 0.3% of tests
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 0.3% of tests
10. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 0.3% of tests

From 15,800 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Corsa Se tests, 2024.

Vauxhall Corsa Se pass rate by model year

From its 2019 to its 2021 model year, the Vauxhall Corsa Se's first-time pass rate has risen 1.4 points, from 89.6% to 91%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Vauxhall Corsa Se year:

• 2019 Vauxhall Corsa Se - 89.6% first-time pass, 376 tests
• 2020 Vauxhall Corsa Se - 87.3% first-time pass, 7,977 tests
• 2021 Vauxhall Corsa Se - 91% first-time pass, 7,365 tests

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

• Ford Cortina - 88.8%
• Kia Proceed GT-Line Isg S-A - 88.8%
• Chevrolet Camaro - 88.8%
• Mitsubishi Eclipse - 88.7%
• BMW 520d M Sport Mhev Auto - 88.7%
• Audi A5 S Line 35 Tdi Mhev S-A - 88.7%

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

Run a site about the Vauxhall Corsa Se? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/vauxhall-corsa-se"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/vauxhall-corsa-se.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Vauxhall Corsa Se MOT Pass Rate: 88.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Vauxhall Corsa Se's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/vauxhall-corsa-se"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/vauxhall-corsa-se.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Vauxhall Corsa Se most common MOT failure: Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen (7.5% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate