Vauxhall Zafira: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Vauxhall Zafira fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 8 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 201,897 individual Vauxhall Zafira tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 68.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 31 in every 100 Vauxhall Zafiras 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 Zafira tested had covered 93,178 miles and was built around 2012.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Vauxhall Zafira bought as a 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. See how it stacks up against the Ford Fiesta.

Looking at a specific Vauxhall Zafira 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 Zafiras actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 10 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Zafira

1. Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction, 3% of tests (3.19x the national rate for this defect)
2. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.4% of tests (3.15x the national rate for this defect)
3. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 1.3% of tests (3.05x the national rate for this defect)
4. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 4.2% of tests (2.53x the national rate for this defect)
5. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.7% of tests (2.23x the national rate for this defect)
6. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.2% of tests (2.05x the national rate for this defect)
7. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.4% of tests (1.92x the national rate for this defect)
8. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.5% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this defect)
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.9% of tests (1.6x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.8% of tests (1.59x the national rate for this defect)

From 283,974 DVSA-tracked Vauxhall Zafira tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.35% of these flagged Vauxhall Zafira defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Vauxhall Zafira 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 Zafira year:

• 2000 Vauxhall Zafira - 59.7% first-time pass, 233 tests
• 2001 Vauxhall Zafira - 64.3% first-time pass, 690 tests
• 2002 Vauxhall Zafira - 63.5% first-time pass, 1,447 tests
• 2003 Vauxhall Zafira - 61.7% first-time pass, 2,347 tests
• 2004 Vauxhall Zafira - 61.9% first-time pass, 4,134 tests
• 2005 Vauxhall Zafira - 60.3% first-time pass, 5,258 tests
• 2006 Vauxhall Zafira - 60.6% first-time pass, 7,627 tests
• 2007 Vauxhall Zafira - 59.2% first-time pass, 11,529 tests
• 2008 Vauxhall Zafira - 60.5% first-time pass, 13,709 tests
• 2009 Vauxhall Zafira - 60.7% first-time pass, 9,596 tests
• 2010 Vauxhall Zafira - 63.3% first-time pass, 16,520 tests
• 2011 Vauxhall Zafira - 65.2% first-time pass, 12,795 tests
• 2012 Vauxhall Zafira - 69.2% first-time pass, 16,117 tests
• 2013 Vauxhall Zafira - 71.7% first-time pass, 27,676 tests
• 2014 Vauxhall Zafira - 74% first-time pass, 27,528 tests
• 2015 Vauxhall Zafira - 77% first-time pass, 14,463 tests
• 2016 Vauxhall Zafira - 79.3% first-time pass, 11,893 tests
• 2017 Vauxhall Zafira - 81.1% first-time pass, 11,968 tests
• 2018 Vauxhall Zafira - 83.8% first-time pass, 4,865 tests

Vauxhall Zafira by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Vauxhall Zafira - 69.4% first-time pass, 132,461 tests
• Diesel Vauxhall Zafira - 68.9% first-time pass, 67,878 tests

Other Vauxhall models

• Vauxhall Corsa - 70%
• Vauxhall Astra - 71.9%
• Vauxhall Mokka - 75.6%
• Vauxhall Insignia - 73.5%
• Vauxhall Vivaro - 59.7%
• Vauxhall Meriva - 68.9%
• Vauxhall Combo - 66.3%
• Vauxhall Adam - 74.6%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Fiat Doblo - 68.9%
• Subaru Legacy - 68.8%
• Alfa Romeo Brera - 68.8%
• Toyota Landcruiser Colorado - 68.6%
• MINI MINI - 68.5%
• Chevrolet Orlando - 68.5%

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

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate