54,244 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Adam reliability and MOT pass rate
70.5% passed first time. The 29.5% fail rate is 6.9 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 10 years old with 54,612 miles.
Pass rate
70.5%
22.6% of all cars failed; 29.5% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
54,612 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 25,049 | 26.3% |
| 10-13 years | 29,195 | 32.3% |
| 14+ years | 0 | — |
What the Adam 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.
- Suspension292 dangerous52.7%
- Steering12 dangerous28.6%
- Tyres3,106 dangerous20.3%
- Brakes1,142 dangerous17.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment3 dangerous16.4%
- Visibility1 dangerous10.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks3 dangerous8.9%
- Body, chassis, structure53 dangerous7.8%
Is the Adam getting worse?
The fail rate rose 10.7 points to 29.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 59,520 | 7 | 18.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 59,323 | 8 | 22.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 49,850 | 9 | 25.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 54,244 | 10 | 29.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Adam 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 Adam in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak3,506 tests
- 2Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt3,387 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken3,052 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,256 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened1,061 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction1,007 tests
- 7Track rod end: ball joint dust cover insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt804 tests
- 8Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively785 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Adam collects 2.38 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.
- 1Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak9,235 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure8,315 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm7,684 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened4,203 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,107 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn2,754 tests
- 7Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened2,648 tests
- 8Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,877 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Adam MOT pass rate?
70.5% of the 54,244 Vauxhall Adam first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 29.5% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Adam usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak", recorded on 3,506 failed tests, followed by "Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 52.7% of failures, steering appears in 28.6% of failures, tyres appears in 20.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 10-13 years it was 32.3%. The median Vauxhall Adam tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 54,612 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Adam getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 10.7 points to 29.5% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.7 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
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 Adam 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 10 safety recalls naming the Vauxhall Adam: Vauxhall Adam recalls.
Other Vauxhall models
Checking a particular Adam?
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.