12,391 tests in 2025
Chevrolet Spark reliability and MOT pass rate
64.7% passed first time. The 35.3% fail rate is 12.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 69,339 miles.
Pass rate
64.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 35.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
10%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
69,339 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 6,894 | 34.9% |
| 14+ years | 5,495 | 35.7% |
What the Spark fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Suspension101 dangerous45.5%
- Brakes491 dangerous44.6%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment57 dangerous41.8%
- Tyres1,017 dangerous20.4%
- Visibility5 dangerous16.4%
- Body, chassis, structure11 dangerous14.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks4 dangerous7.7%
- Steering9 dangerous5.5%
Is the Spark getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.6 points to 35.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16,351 | 10 | 34.7% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 15,777 | 11 | 34.6% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 12,741 | 12 | 34.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 12,389 | 13 | 35.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Spark at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Spark in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working759 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded738 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken696 tests
- 4Service brake performance: excessively binding613 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working550 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm434 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively412 tests
- 8Service brake imbalance: across an axle388 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Spark collects 3.19 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded3,822 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,119 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,783 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure1,508 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,151 tests
- 6Service brake performance: excessively binding908 tests
- 7Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened837 tests
- 8Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened779 tests
Questions
What is the Chevrolet Spark MOT pass rate?
64.7% of the 12,391 Chevrolet Spark first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 35.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 10% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Chevrolet Spark usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 759 failed tests, followed by "Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 45.5% of failures, brakes appears in 44.6% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 41.8% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 35.7%. The median Chevrolet Spark tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 69,339 miles.
Is the Chevrolet Spark getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.6 points to 35.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.8 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Spark trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 8 safety recalls naming the Chevrolet Spark: Chevrolet Spark recalls.
Other Chevrolet models
Checking a particular Spark?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.