In 2025, 766,875 Vauxhall Corsa cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 61% passed first time, compared with 68% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Corsa worse than average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 200 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 91% of Corsas passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 50% (all cars: 58%). It trails the average car at most ages, most noticeably at 11 years (11 points behind).
Vauxhall Corsa All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Corsa passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 3,955 | 91% | 88% | 21,844.7059418458 |
| 6 years | 42,006 | 80% | 84% | 38,740 |
| 7 years | 52,814 | 73% | 81% | 46,464 |
| 8 years | 51,848 | 68% | 78% | 53,999 |
| 9 years | 75,135 | 67% | 75% | 61,397 |
| 10 years | 86,554 | 64% | 72% | 67,372 |
| 11 years | 71,988 | 57% | 69% | 72,124 |
| 12 years | 69,166 | 59% | 66% | 77,108 |
| 13 years | 68,055 | 57% | 63% | 81,035 |
| 14 years | 53,626 | 57% | 61% | 84,132 |
| 15 years | 45,936 | 55% | 59% | 85,690 |
| 16 years | 39,556 | 55% | 58% | 88,614.0602942664 |
| 17 years | 35,647 | 53% | 57% | 90,461.0415462732 |
| 18 years | 26,701 | 53% | 57% | 91,059.2048986929 |
| 19 years | 13,436 | 50% | 57% | 83,809.7584102411 |
| 20 years | 8,966 | 50% | 58% | 82,410 |
What fails most on a Vauxhall Corsa
The area that lets the Corsa down most, relative to other cars, is steering: 8.2% of tests failed on it, 3.7 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Corsa tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | Suspension | 8.1% |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Steering | 6.5% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 5.4% |
| Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | Visibility | 4.5% |
| Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 4.1% |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 3.3% |
What to check when buying a used Corsa
Based on where the Corsa fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Emissions and leaks: Look for oil and coolant leaks underneath, listen for exhaust blows on a cold start, and watch for smoke when revving. Repair guide
- Suspension: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, look for leaking shock absorbers, and check the car sits level. Ask whether springs, bushes or drop links have been replaced. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Corsa
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a CorsaFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Vauxhall Corsa?
In 2025, 61% of Vauxhall Corsa cars passed their MOT first time, across 766,875 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 68%.
What do Vauxhall Corsa cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened (8.1% of tests); steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (6.5% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (5.4% of tests).
Other Vauxhall models
Vauxhall Astra (65%), Vauxhall Mokka (66%), Vauxhall Insignia (67%), Vauxhall Zafira (62%), Vauxhall Vivaro (54%), Vauxhall Meriva (62%). All Vauxhall models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.