Opel Astra MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Opel Astra MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Opel Astra passed on its first attempt in 63.5%, and its overall record sits −8.7 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Opel Astra in the 2023–2025 data: 451 tests across 6 model years (2000–2008). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Opel Astra MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Opel Astra, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Opel Astra's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Opel Astra DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Opel Astra, each with how many of the model's 451 tests it was noted on.

• "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 21 Opel Astra tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 20 Opel Astra tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 19 Opel Astra tests, 4.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases" (Major) — noted on about 15 Opel Astra tests, 3.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Opel Astra tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 14 Opel Astra tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Opel Astra Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Opel Astra model year on record is 2003 (81.0% across 58 tests), and the weakest is 2007 (69.1%). The gap between them is 11.9 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Opel Astra Owners

These checks follow this Opel Astra's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Opel Astra.

• the lights — “headlamp lens slightly defective”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

• the exhaust and emissions — “exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases”

  Listen for a blow at idle and have someone rev it gently. Then look at the tailpipe smoke: blue is oil, white when warm is coolant, black is over-fuelling. Any of those and the emissions test is the least of it.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Opel Astra. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Opel Astra MOT & Reliability