Vauxhall Vectra: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Vectra fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 15.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 29,803 individual Vauxhall Vectra tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 61.1% first-time pass rate means roughly 39 in every 100 Vauxhall Vectras 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 Vectra tested had covered 117,397 miles and was built around 2006.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Vauxhall Vectra sits 15.6 points below the national average, ranked 1,934 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 Vectra 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 Vectras at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Vectra

1. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 3.7% of tests (6.26x the national rate for this defect)
2. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 5.9% of tests (5.55x the national rate for this defect)
3. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.7% of tests (4.67x the national rate for this defect)
4. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 5.2% of tests (4.03x the national rate for this defect)
5. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 7.3% of tests (3.21x the national rate for this defect)
6. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 7.4% of tests (3.17x the national rate for this defect)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 12.8% of tests (2.55x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 4.1% of tests (2.23x the national rate for this defect)
9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3.4% of tests (1.8x the national rate for this defect)
10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.9% of tests (1.72x the national rate for this defect)

From 29,793 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Vectra tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.35% of these flagged Vauxhall Vectra defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Vauxhall Vectra

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 Vectra before it actually fails on it.

1. A brake hose ferrule excessively corroded, 8.3% of tests (6.54x the national rate for this advisory)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 14.9% of tests (5.22x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
3. Product on the lens or light source which obviously reduces light intensity or changes emitted colour to other than white or yellow, 5.7% of tests (5.18x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users, 21.9% of tests (3.95x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 5.1% of tests (3.71x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 22.8% of tests (3.69x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 17.2% of tests (3.63x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 17.9% of tests (3.45x the national rate for this advisory)
9. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 8% of tests (3.01x the national rate for this advisory)
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 28.2% of tests (2.11x the national rate for this advisory), also fails

From 29,793 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Vectra tests, 2024.

Vauxhall Vectra pass rate by model year

From its 2000 to its 2009 model year, the Vauxhall Vectra's first-time pass rate has fallen 6.5 points, from 67.3% to 60.8%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Vauxhall Vectra year:

• 1999 Vauxhall Vectra - 68.6% first-time pass, 258 tests
• 2000 Vauxhall Vectra - 67.3% first-time pass, 376 tests
• 2001 Vauxhall Vectra - 68.8% first-time pass, 593 tests
• 2002 Vauxhall Vectra - 66.5% first-time pass, 564 tests
• 2003 Vauxhall Vectra - 62.3% first-time pass, 669 tests
• 2004 Vauxhall Vectra - 58.8% first-time pass, 1,225 tests
• 2005 Vauxhall Vectra - 59.4% first-time pass, 2,071 tests
• 2006 Vauxhall Vectra - 62.7% first-time pass, 4,448 tests
• 2007 Vauxhall Vectra - 61.3% first-time pass, 8,066 tests
• 2008 Vauxhall Vectra - 61.2% first-time pass, 9,322 tests
• 2009 Vauxhall Vectra - 60.8% first-time pass, 1,640 tests

Vauxhall Vectra by fuel type

The Vauxhall Vectra's two most-tested fuel types split by 0.6 points: petrol passes first time 61.5% of the time (19,249 tests) against 62.1% for diesel (10,256 tests).

• Petrol Vauxhall Vectra - 61.5% first-time pass, 19,249 tests
• Diesel Vauxhall Vectra - 62.1% first-time pass, 10,256 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

• Vauxhall Corsavan - 61.2%
• Renault Megane - 61.1%
• Renault Kangoo - 61.1%
• Citroen Saxo - 61.1%
• Dodge Journey - 61.1%
• Fiat Doblo Cargo - 61%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Britain's most and least reliable cars: 33 million MOT tests analysed
• 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