Vauxhall Viva: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Viva passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 9.5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 38,501 individual Vauxhall Viva tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate86.2%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+9.5 points
Tests analysed38,501
Average mileage at test37,214 miles
Average year of manufacture2017
Reliability rank1,158 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 86.2% first-time pass rate means roughly 14 in every 100 Vauxhall Vivas 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 Viva tested had covered 37,214 miles and was built around 2017.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Vauxhall Viva bought as a 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 Viva 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 Vivas actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Viva

  1. A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative, 2% of tests (10.59x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.9% of tests (1.36x the national rate for this defect)
  3. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)
  4. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1.5% of tests
  5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.4% of tests
  6. A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 1% of tests
  7. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 0.9% of tests
  8. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 0.9% of tests
  9. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 0.9% of tests
  10. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 0.7% of tests

From 51,119 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Viva tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.16% of these flagged Vauxhall Viva defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Vauxhall Viva 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 Viva year:

Other Vauxhall models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

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Vauxhall Viva MOT pass rate badge: 86.2%

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate