545,258 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Astra reliability and MOT pass rate
72.4% passed first time. The 27.6% fail rate is 5.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 85,506 miles.
Pass rate
72.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 27.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
85,506 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 13,746 | 11% |
| 6-9 years | 140,583 | 17.7% |
| 10-13 years | 183,176 | 27.6% |
| 14+ years | 207,553 | 35.5% |
What the Astra 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.
- Suspension2,832 dangerous41.6%
- Brakes24,941 dangerous30.8%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment372 dangerous30.4%
- Tyres37,918 dangerous27.7%
- Noise, emissions and leaks291 dangerous18%
- Body, chassis, structure949 dangerous16%
- Visibility58 dangerous13.4%
- Steering213 dangerous3.3%
Is the Astra getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 27.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 752,108 | 10 | 27.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 698,666 | — | 27.9% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 565,022 | — | 27.8% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 539,499 | — | 27.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Astra 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 Astra in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken30,574 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick15,746 tests
- 3Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm13,425 tests
- 4Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction11,406 tests
- 5Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases11,043 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working10,217 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements9,915 tests
- 8Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect8,699 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Astra collects 2.94 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm93,654 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine85,055 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure69,304 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened66,569 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick50,616 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened39,364 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases32,853 tests
- 8Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded31,831 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Astra MOT pass rate?
72.4% of the 545,258 Vauxhall Astra first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 27.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Astra usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 30,574 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm". By section, suspension appears in 41.6% of failures, brakes appears in 30.8% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 30.4% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11%; at 14+ years it was 35.5%. The median Vauxhall Astra tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 85,506 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Astra getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.4 points to 27.9% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Astra 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 35 safety recalls naming the Vauxhall Astra: Vauxhall Astra recalls.
Other Vauxhall models
Checking a particular Astra?
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.