Vauxhall Brava MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Vauxhall Brava MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Vauxhall Brava passed on its first attempt in 68.0%, and its overall record sits −7.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Vauxhall Brava in the 2023–2025 data: 489 tests across 3 model years (2000–2002). 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 Vauxhall Brava MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Vauxhall Brava, the Suspension 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 Vauxhall Brava's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Vauxhall Brava DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Vauxhall Brava, each with how many of the model's 489 tests it was noted on.

• "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 34 Vauxhall Brava tests, 7.0% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 24 Vauxhall Brava tests, 4.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 19 Vauxhall Brava tests, 3.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 18 Vauxhall Brava tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Chassis condition or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting" (Major) — noted on about 15 Vauxhall Brava tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 13 Vauxhall Brava tests, 2.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Vauxhall Brava Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Vauxhall Brava model year on record is 2000 (75.0% across 184 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (72.5%). The gap between them is 2.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Vauxhall Brava reliability is declining in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Vauxhall Brava Owners

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

• the suspension joints — “ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Vauxhall Brava MOT & Reliability