Vauxhall Vivaro MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Vauxhall Vivaro MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Vauxhall Vivaro passed on its first attempt in 63.8%, and its overall record sits −8.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Vauxhall Vivaro in the 2023–2025 data: 731,991 tests across 23 model years (2001–2023). 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 Vivaro MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Vauxhall Vivaro DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Vauxhall Vivaro, each with how many of the model's 731,991 tests it was noted on.

• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 50,729 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 6.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 48,007 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 6.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 33,407 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 4.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 25,436 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 3.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 17,960 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 17,349 Vauxhall Vivaro tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Vauxhall Vivaro Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Vauxhall Vivaro model year on record is 2023 (90.5% across 602 tests), and the weakest is 2002 (66.5%). The gap between them is 24.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Vauxhall Vivaro reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.9 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 Vivaro Owners

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

• the suspension joints — “track rod end ball joint has excessive play”

  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 Vivaro. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Vauxhall Vivaro MOT & Reliability