Pass rate, every year
1,260 tests across 3 model years, 2007–2009.
+7.3 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
1,260 tests across 3 model years, 2007–2009.
+7.3 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2008 88.6%
The strongest of the 3 years on record. See the 2008 page →
Worst year to buy
2007 87.8%
0.8 points below the 2008 peak. See the 2007 page →
The Vauxhall VXR8 MOT pass rate is 88.3%, +7.3 percentage points above the UK average. That is 1,260 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2007 and 2009. This page lists the most common Vauxhall VXR8 MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Vauxhall VXR8 MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Vauxhall VXR8 passed on its first attempt in 87.4%, and its overall record sits +7.3 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Vauxhall VXR8 in the 2023–2025 data: 1,260 tests across 3 model years (2007–2009). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,260 |
| Overall pass rate | 88.3% |
| Passed on first attempt | 87.4% |
| Average mileage at test | 79,147 mi |
| Model years covered | 2007–2009 (3 years) |
| Versus UK national average | +7.3 pts above |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Vauxhall VXR8, 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.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 38% |
| Suspension | 36% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11% |
| Visibility | 8% |
| Brakes | 7% |
Shares are over the Vauxhall VXR8's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 38% of the recorded Vauxhall VXR8 failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (1.8%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (1.4%), "Position lamp not working" (1.4%) among the Vauxhall VXR8's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 36% of the recorded Vauxhall VXR8 failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (1.7%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.0%), "Ball joint excessively worn" (1.0%) among the Vauxhall VXR8's suspension faults.
Around 11% of the recorded Vauxhall VXR8 failures fall in the Noise, emissions and leaks section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Malfunction indicator lamp inoperative or indicates a malfunction" (0.9%), "Catalyst emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits" (0.8%) among the Vauxhall VXR8's noise, emissions and leaks faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Vauxhall VXR8, each with how many of the model's 1,260 tests it was noted on.
The strongest Vauxhall VXR8 model year on record is 2008 (88.6% across 306 tests), and the weakest is 2007 (87.8%). The gap between them is 0.8 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.
These checks follow this Vauxhall VXR8's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Vauxhall VXR8.
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.
the suspension joints — “linkage ball joint dust cover 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.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Vauxhall VXR8. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
88.3% of the 1,260 recorded Vauxhall VXR8 MOT tests ended in a pass, +7.3 percentage points above the national average. 87.4% of those passed on the first attempt.
2008 is the strongest Vauxhall VXR8 year on record at 88.6%, while 2007 is the weakest at 87.8%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Vauxhall VXR8 failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" — together around 3% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.