Pass rate
67.9%
Below average — 5.9 pts behind the 73.8% that cars this age and mileage manage.
Across 184 recorded tests.
Typical repair bill £62–£159
2000 Vauxhall Combo MOT pass rate
- 2000
- typical 106,070 mi
Check your postcode
Most common fault
Suspension
20.4% of faults · 21.0% nationally
mostly worn arm bushes, split ball-joint boots and broken coil springs.
Which year to buy
- Best 2023 88.1% pass
- Avoid 2001 65.7% pass
Across the 24 years on record, a spread of 22.4 points. See every year →
- First-attempt pass
- 58.5%
- Typical mileage
- 106k mi
The 2000 Vauxhall Combo MOT pass rate is 67.9% of its MOT tests — 5.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. Suspension is the biggest single reason it fails, at 20.4% of what testers record.
Expert verdict
Lamps & electrics: 1.5× the national share
Lamps & electrics make up 18.4% of everything recorded on the 2000 Vauxhall Combo, against 12.2% nationally — 6.2 points above. Suspension is still the single largest share at 20.4%, but at 21.0% nationally that one is ordinary. Walk round the car with the lights on before the test: bulbs, indicators and number-plate lamps are the cheapest failures to prevent and among the most common.
- Falls short of its own age and mileage. Like-for-like, cars this age and mileage expect about 73.8%; this one manages 67.9% — 5.9 points below. Age is a fair excuse; this is not age.
- When it fails, it costs. Only 35% of this model’s typical repairs come in under £30 in parts — the failures here tend to be the kind that need a garage rather than a bulb.
Written from this page's own figures: fault shares against the national composition, the like-for-like pass rate, and the priced repair list. How these are worked out
Watching a Vauxhall Combo? Get an email when these numbers change .
How does the 2000 Vauxhall Combo compare?
Cars of this age and mileage average 73.8%, so this figure is 5.9 points behind what its age and mileage predict. On a first attempt, before any retests, the figure drops to 58.5%. The median 2000 Vauxhall Combo in this dataset had covered 106,070 mi.
90% of the tests on this vehicle ran on Diesel, which passed 68.1% of the time. Pass rates also shift with the test month: tests recorded October–March passed 64.9% of the time, April–September 71.3%.
The single most recorded failure item is "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources", noted on 11.41% of tests.
- 184 recorded tests behind this page.
- 67.9% overall pass rate, 58.5% on a first attempt.
- Across every year of the Vauxhall Combo, the average is 75.7% — best year 2023 (88.1%), worst 2001 (65.7%).
Figures count every completed test on this vehicle-year in the dataset, including retests. See methodology for the exact definition.
This page's data
- Tests analysed
- 184
- Typical mileage (median)
- 106,070 mi
- Make and model
- Vauxhall Combo
- Updated
- 2026-11-07
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2023–2025), OGL v3.0.
Top part to budget for
Number Plate Lamp
Usually a DIY or independent-garage job.
Does mileage affect the Combo MOT pass rate?
Pass rate by odometer reading. Bar lengths start at 57% so small gaps stay visible.
Fuel type and reliability
Pass rate by fuel type. Diesel is the most common here (90% of tests).
Where the Vauxhall Combo is most common
Across all Combo model years on record (2000–2023): 181,484 Vauxhall Combo cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 401,603 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 4,780 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.
| # | Postcode area | Cars | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham (B) | 4,780 | 79.3% |
| 2 | Sheffield (S) | 4,563 | 78.2% |
| 3 | Peterborough (PE) | 4,337 | 75.1% |
| 4 | Chester (CH) | 3,888 | 77.0% |
| 5 | Nottingham (NG) | 3,783 | 72.4% |
| 6 | Doncaster (DN) | 3,455 | 75.6% |
| 7 | Manchester (M) | 3,152 | 79.7% |
| 8 | Glasgow (G) | 3,120 | 77.2% |
| 9 | Cardiff (CF) | 2,919 | 73.5% |
| 10 | Derby (DE) | 2,873 | 76.9% |
| 11 | Bristol (BS) | 2,836 | 74.1% |
| 12 | Leicester (LE) | 2,688 | 77.9% |
| 13 | Newcastle upon Tyne (NE) | 2,668 | 77.4% |
| 14 | Norwich (NR) | 2,664 | 72.1% |
| 15 | Chelmsford (CM) | 2,562 | 79.5% |
| 16 | Stoke On Trent (ST) | 2,442 | 73.5% |
| 17 | Northampton (NN) | 2,442 | 74.1% |
| 18 | Ipswich (IP) | 2,419 | 74.3% |
| 19 | Swansea (SA) | 2,390 | 74.2% |
| 20 | Edinburgh (EH) | 2,290 | 73.6% |
The twenty areas with the most Vauxhall Combo cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →
Regional pass rates for the Combo
| Region | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 40 | 72.5% |
| South West | 35 | 65.7% |
| East of England | 30 | 66.7% |
| East Midlands | 24 | 66.7% |
| West Midlands | 20 | 75.0% |
Regions come from the postcode area recorded at the test station. Areas on region borders are assigned to the region with the majority of their population.
What fails a 2000 Combo
Everything a tester recorded on this vehicle, grouped into the inspection sections that produced it. The notch on each bar is the national share, so you can see at a glance whether this car is unusual or just ordinary.
A test can record several items, so these percentages do not add up to 100%. The exact strings, with prices, are in the full DVSA record at the bottom of this page.
Before your test
Three checks worth doing on a 2000 Combo
These are not generic tips — they are the faults recorded most often on this exact model, rewritten as things you can check yourself. All three take about ten minutes and cost nothing.
-
Check the lights 11.4% of tests
“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.
-
Check corrosion 8.7% of tests
“component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”
Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.
-
Check the battery 6.0% of tests
“battery(ies) insecure”
Check the battery is secure and its terminals are clean and tight — a loose battery is a fail on its own, and a weak one shows up as slow cranking on a cold morning.
Shares are the proportion of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item, so they overlap: one test can record several.
What it costs to get a 2000 Combo through its MOT
Across the 10 items that are recorded most often on this model, the average repair comes to £62–£159 — and 35% of those repairs are parts that cost under £30.
- Average repair across the 10 common items
- £62–£159
- Cheapest common item: mirrors slightly loose
- £3–£15
- Dearest common item: component mounting prescribed areas…
- £180–£450
- Common items a careful owner can do at home
- 50%
- Repairs that still cost under £30
- 35%
Estimates from typical UK parts prices, weighted by how often each item appears in 184 MOT tests on this vehicle. They exclude diagnostics, retest fees and garage labour where the part is a DIY fit, and they are not figures from the DVSA dataset. Older and higher-mileage examples cost more than the average. How these estimates are built → · All MOT repair costs → · Cheapest cars to put through a test →
Every year of the Combo, side by side
24 model years on record, from 2000 to 2023. Across them the pass rate runs from 65.7% to 88.1% — a spread of 22.4 points. The bar under each year is the item that failed it most often.
- 2000 67.9%registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2001 65.7% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2002 66.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2003 65.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2004 66.3% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2005 67.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2006 66.7% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2007 67.5% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2008 68.3% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2009 68.9% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2010 72.2% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2011 74.1% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2012 70.0% coil spring fractured or broken
- 2013 71.8% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2014 73.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2015 74.0% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2016 75.2% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2017 76.1% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2018 79.4% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2019 83.4% registration plate lamp(s)…
- 2020 83.1% wipers does not clear the…
- 2021 84.0% wipers does not clear the…
- 2022 84.7% windscreen damaged but not…
- 2023 88.1% wipers does not clear the…
Colour is the pass rate on a fixed scale, so a block means the same thing on any model. Each year links to its own page with the full fault breakdown.
Compare the 2000 Vauxhall Combo with another year
The raw pass rate mostly measures age. The year comparison adds the like-for-like figure, the mileage bands and the repair bill.
Other 2000 cars with a similar record
- Peugeot 206 67.8%
- Ford Fiesta 68.3%
- Honda Cr-V 68.7%
- Volkswagen Beetle 66.9%
- Renault Clio 69.0%
- Ford Focus 69.3%
Closest pass rates among 2000 cars with at least 2,000 tests, so a small sample cannot flatter itself into the list. See the full rankings: best and worst MOT pass rates.
The full DVSA record for the 2000 Vauxhall Combo 10 failure items · 6 advisories · 10 inspection categories · mileage brackets · all of it in the page, none of it above the fold
Every inspection category
Shares of the 682 individual items recorded on this vehicle, and the same share across all cars nationally. A single test can record several items, so a row is not a percentage of tests.
| Category | Items | This car | Nationally | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 142 | 20.40% | 20.98% | −0.58 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 128 | 18.40% | 12.21% | +6.19 |
| Brakes | 103 | 14.80% | 20.89% | −6.09 |
| Tyres | 81 | 11.70% | 19.76% | −8.06 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 78 | 11.20% | 5.57% | +5.63 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 57 | 8.20% | 5.52% | +2.68 |
| Visibility | 50 | 7.20% | 4.97% | +2.23 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 17 | 2.40% | 1.76% | +0.64 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 14 | 2.00% | 0.82% | +1.18 |
| Steering | 12 | 1.70% | 2.57% | −0.87 |
The exact failure items, in the tester's words
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 11.4% | £5–20 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension | Major | 8.7% | £180–450 |
| Battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Minor | 6.0% | £60–140 |
| Prescribed areas prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | Major | 5.4% | £40–120 |
| Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension | Minor | 4.9% | £18–45 |
| Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Visibility | Minor | 4.9% | £80–200 |
| Chassis condition or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of a body mounting Body, chassis, structure | Major | 4.3% | £180–450 |
| Mirrors slightly loose Visibility | Minor | 4.3% | £3–15 |
| Position lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 4.3% | £5–25 |
| Headlamp aim too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | Major | 3.8% | £30–80 |
Severity is as recorded: Major and Dangerous fail the test outright; Minor and Advisory do not. Costs are estimates from typical UK parts prices — see how they are built.
What testers noted without failing the car
Advisories are the early warnings — the same parts a year or two before they fail. Reading them is how you tell a car that has been maintained from one that has been patched.
| Recorded item | Severity | Tests | Est. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine oil leaks leaking excessively from engine Noise, emissions and leaks | Advisory | 19.6% | £200–700 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | Advisory | 19.6% | £45–95 |
| Has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure Tyres | Advisory | 18.5% | £45–95 |
| Wheel bearings has excessive play Suspension | Advisory | 13.6% | £20–55 |
| Exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | Advisory | 10.3% | £45–120 |
| Brake discs in such a condition that it is seriously weakened Brakes | Advisory | 9.8% | £45–110 |
Pass rate by mileage
| Mileage | Tests | Pass rate | Median odometer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 15 | 80.0% | 53,648 mi |
| 60-90k | 34 | 70.6% | 76,846 mi |
| 90-120k | 77 | 66.2% | 104,857 mi |
| 120k+ | 58 | 65.5% | 140,957 mi |
Source: 184 recorded tests on this vehicle-year. Every row above is recomputed from the same DVSA extract as the rest of the page — see the methodology.
2000 Combo MOT questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a 2000 Vauxhall Combo?
67.9% of the 184 2000 Vauxhall Combo tests in this dataset passed, against a national average of 73.8% for cars first used in 2000. First-attempt pass rate: 58.5%.
What are the most common MOT failures on a 2000 Vauxhall Combo?
The three most recorded items are registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (11.41%), component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (8.70%), battery(ies) insecure but not likely to fall from carrier (5.98%). Percentages are the share of tests on this vehicle that recorded the item.
Does mileage affect the 2000 Vauxhall Combo MOT pass rate?
Yes. Cars under 30,000 miles passed 80.0% of the time, falling to 65.5% for those over 120,000 miles. The median 2000 Vauxhall Combo in this dataset had covered 106,070 mi.
Which fuel type is most reliable for a 2000 Vauxhall Combo?
Diesel: 68.1% pass rate across 166 tests. Petrol: 66.7% pass rate across 18 tests. Shares are of the tests on this vehicle that recorded each fuel type.
Does the season affect the 2000 Vauxhall Combo MOT pass rate?
Tests recorded in the winter months (October–March) passed 64.9% of the time; summer months (April–September) passed 71.3%. Brakes, tyres and lights are tested harder in bad weather, but the difference is small on most models.