171,760 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Vivaro 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 10 years old with 109,588 miles.
Petrol, diesel and hybrid versions. The electric version has its own page: Vauxhall Vivaro Electric.
Pass rate
64.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 35.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.8%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
109,588 mi
10 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 28,143 | 17.9% |
| 6-9 years | 48,839 | 30.6% |
| 10-13 years | 47,862 | 41% |
| 14+ years | 46,602 | 45% |
What the Vivaro 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.
- Suspension2,271 dangerous53.1%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment595 dangerous38.4%
- Brakes11,407 dangerous36.2%
- Steering1,461 dangerous29.7%
- Visibility42 dangerous16.8%
- Tyres8,693 dangerous15.4%
- Body, chassis, structure492 dangerous14.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks88 dangerous13%
Is the Vivaro getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.3 points to 36.1% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 180,428 | — | 35.8% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 182,862 | — | 36.5% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 162,762 | — | 37.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 163,678 | — | 36.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Vivaro 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 Vivaro in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play15,246 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn9,860 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken6,802 tests
- 4Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements6,112 tests
- 5Linkage ball joints: ball joint excessively worn5,990 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working5,863 tests
- 7Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction5,633 tests
- 8Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,511 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Vivaro collects 2.9 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 1.6mm25,506 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened21,554 tests
- 3Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine17,780 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick17,062 tests
- 5Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded15,616 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn10,984 tests
- 7Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure10,460 tests
- 8Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play10,459 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Vivaro MOT pass rate?
64.7% of the 171,760 Vauxhall Vivaro first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 35.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.8% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Vivaro usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play", recorded on 15,246 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, suspension appears in 53.1% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.4% of failures, brakes appears in 36.2% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 17.9%; at 14+ years it was 45%. The median Vauxhall Vivaro tested in 2025 was 10 years old with 109,588 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Vivaro getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.3 points to 36.1% 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 Vivaro 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 48 safety recalls naming the Vauxhall Vivaro: Vauxhall Vivaro recalls.
Other Vauxhall models
Checking a particular Vivaro?
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.