163,074 tests in 2025
Vauxhall Zafira reliability and MOT pass rate
69.1% passed first time. The 30.9% fail rate is 8.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 93,105 miles.
Pass rate
69.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 30.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
93,105 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 26,180 | 21.2% |
| 10-13 years | 74,763 | 28.5% |
| 14+ years | 62,131 | 37.7% |
What the Zafira 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.
- Suspension1,421 dangerous44%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment158 dangerous33.7%
- Brakes8,380 dangerous28.7%
- Tyres13,842 dangerous26.4%
- Noise, emissions and leaks73 dangerous23.3%
- Body, chassis, structure339 dangerous14.5%
- Visibility21 dangerous14%
- Steering149 dangerous4.9%
Is the Zafira getting worse?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 30.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 254,007 | 11 | 30.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 227,468 | 11 | 31.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 177,346 | 12 | 31.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 163,058 | 12 | 30.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Zafira 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 Zafira in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Coil spring: fractured or broken9,011 tests
- 2Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction5,955 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick5,441 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,801 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,548 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working4,234 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed4,089 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases3,886 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Zafira collects 3.17 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 1.6mm35,603 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine30,404 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened21,893 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure17,311 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick17,049 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn14,696 tests
- 7Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases13,857 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened13,848 tests
Questions
What is the Vauxhall Zafira MOT pass rate?
69.1% of the 163,074 Vauxhall Zafira first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 30.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Vauxhall Zafira usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Coil spring: fractured or broken", recorded on 9,011 failed tests, followed by "Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction" and "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick". By section, suspension appears in 44% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 33.7% of failures, brakes appears in 28.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 37.7%. The median Vauxhall Zafira tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 93,105 miles.
Is the Vauxhall Zafira getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 0.5 points to 30.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Zafira 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 15 safety recalls naming the Vauxhall Zafira: Vauxhall Zafira recalls.
Other Vauxhall models
Checking a particular Zafira?
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.