Vauxhall Tigra: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Tigra fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 18.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 6,774 individual Vauxhall Tigra tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 58.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 42 in every 100 Vauxhall Tigras 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 Tigra tested had covered 75,963 miles and was built around 2007.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Vauxhall Tigra sits 18.6 points below the national average, ranked 1,974 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Vauxhall Tigra 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Vauxhall Tigra: £150 at UK salvage auction, from 3 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Tigra

1. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 7.9% of tests (6.1x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 5.6% of tests (5.2x the national rate for this defect)
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 5.5% of tests (4.24x the national rate for this defect)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.7% of tests (3.68x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 6.4% of tests (3.5x the national rate for this defect)
6. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 7.3% of tests (3.2x the national rate for this defect)
7. A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.7% of tests (3.07x the national rate for this defect)
8. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 3.9% of tests (2.32x the national rate for this defect)
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 4.2% of tests (2.22x the national rate for this defect)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 10.7% of tests (2.14x the national rate for this defect)

From 6,766 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Tigra tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.6% of these flagged Vauxhall Tigra defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Vauxhall Tigra

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 Tigra before it actually fails on it.

1. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 8.6% of tests (6.78x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 18% of tests (6.32x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 4.7% of tests (3.51x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 20.9% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
5. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 16.3% of tests (3.16x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 15.7% of tests (2.81x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, 9.2% of tests (2.34x the national rate for this advisory)
8. Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake, 4% of tests (1.99x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.8% of tests (1.83x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.2% of tests (1.73x the national rate for this advisory), also fails

From 6,766 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Tigra tests, 2024.

Vauxhall Tigra pass rate by model year

From its 2005 to its 2009 model year, the Vauxhall Tigra's first-time pass rate has risen 1.2 points, from 58.6% to 59.8%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Vauxhall Tigra year:

• 2005 Vauxhall Tigra - 58.6% first-time pass, 800 tests
• 2006 Vauxhall Tigra - 57.3% first-time pass, 1,469 tests
• 2007 Vauxhall Tigra - 57.4% first-time pass, 1,391 tests
• 2008 Vauxhall Tigra - 57.6% first-time pass, 1,182 tests
• 2009 Vauxhall Tigra - 59.8% first-time pass, 1,503 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

• Talbot Express - 58.3%
• Chrysler Voyager - 58.2%
• Mazda Bongo - 58.1%
• Hyundai Coupe - 58.1%
• Mitsubishi Carisma - 58.1%
• Citroen Xsara - 58%

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 Tigra? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/vauxhall-tigra"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/vauxhall-tigra.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Vauxhall Tigra MOT Pass Rate: 58.1% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/vauxhall-tigra"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/vauxhall-tigra.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Vauxhall Tigra most common MOT failure: Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement (7.9% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate