35,096 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Viva reliability and MOT pass rate
83% passed first time. The 17% fail rate is 5.6 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 39,062 miles.
Pass rate
83%
22.6% of all cars failed; 17% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
39,062 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 30,305 | 16% |
| 10-13 years | 4,733 | 23.1% |
| 14+ years | 58 | — |
What the Viva 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.
- Tyres1,511 dangerous53.1%
- Suspension30 dangerous27%
- Visibility17.6%
- Brakes431 dangerous13.5%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment4 dangerous11.3%
- Body, chassis, structure13 dangerous10.3%
- Noise, emissions and leaks1 dangerous10.2%
- Steering6 dangerous4.7%
Is the Viva getting worse?
The fail rate rose 8.2 points to 17% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 points, so it is getting worse faster than age explains.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 38,817 | 5 | 8.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 38,474 | 6 | 10.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 31,905 | 8 | 13.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 35,094 | 8 | 17% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Viva 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 Viva in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative1,933 tests
- 2Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively704 tests
- 3Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt585 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm429 tests
- 5Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords383 tests
- 6Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction373 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick336 tests
- 8Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn288 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Viva collects 2.24 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.
- 1Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,735 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm3,678 tests
- 3Exhaust system: system insecure2,362 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,879 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,824 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine1,315 tests
- 7Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened1,037 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases783 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Viva MOT pass rate?
83% of the 35,096 Vauxhall Viva first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 17% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Viva usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative", recorded on 1,933 failed tests, followed by "Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively" and "Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, tyres appears in 53.1% of failures, suspension appears in 27% of failures, visibility appears in 17.6% 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 23.1%. The median Vauxhall Viva tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 39,062 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Viva getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 8.2 points to 17% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 6.6 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 Viva 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
Checking a particular Viva?
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.