1,082 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Ampera reliability and MOT pass rate
71.7% passed first time. The 28.3% fail rate is 5.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 98,831 miles.
Pass rate
71.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
98,831 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 1,080 | 28.2% |
| 14+ years | 1 | — |
What the Ampera 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.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment29.4%
- Body, chassis, structure1 dangerous28.8%
- Tyres81 dangerous25.2%
- Suspension4 dangerous24.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks20.6%
- Brakes35 dangerous19.6%
- Visibility6.9%
- Identification of the vehicle2.3%
Is the Ampera getting worse?
The fail rate rose 7.9 points to 28.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (7.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,225 | 9 | 20.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,199 | 10 | 25% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,065 | 11 | 26.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,082 | 12 | 28.3% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Ampera 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 Ampera in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt76 tests
- 2Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction63 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken44 tests
- 4Side repeaters: not working32 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed25 tests
- 6Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick17 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect17 tests
- 8Headlamp: not working on dipped beam16 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Ampera 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.
- 1Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened206 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm185 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure118 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn55 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened41 tests
- 6Non-component advisories: Fuel Pipe/s corroded38 tests
- 7Tread depth: tread pattern not visible over the whole tread area when minimum depth required is 1.0mm35 tests
- 8Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine35 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Ampera MOT pass rate?
71.7% of the 1,082 Vauxhall Ampera first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Ampera usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded on 76 failed tests, followed by "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 29.4% of failures, body, chassis, structure appears in 28.8% of failures, tyres appears in 25.2% 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 28.2%. The median Vauxhall Ampera tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 98,831 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Ampera getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 7.9 points to 28.3% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (7.4 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
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 Ampera trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Vauxhall models
- Corsa 28.5%
- Astra 27.6%
- Corsavan 38.1%
- Cascada 21.5%
- Vivaro Electric 13.1%
- Combo Electric 12.8%
Checking a particular Ampera?
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.