Vauxhall Corsa
From 1,196,303 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Corsas fare better: 2021 models pass at 89.8% vs 68.3% for 1996.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, caused 46,405 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 46,405 |
| steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 33,476 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 26,593 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 24,023 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 23,563 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 21,722 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 21,388 |
| a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage | 20,248 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 20,204 |
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 19,793 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 25.9% of Corsa failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 18.6% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. Breakdown cover may be worth considering for this model. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £114.
Vauxhall Corsa on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 62,178 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 35,469 newly registered, a net loss of 26,709. At this rate, roughly 38.5 years until none remain. Now at 82.7% of its peak (1,243,272 in 2016 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 930,048 | 97,659 | +9,036 | -14,601 | -5,565 |
| 2025 Q2 | 936,975 | 96,297 | +8,558 | -15,931 | -7,373 |
| 2025 Q1 | 945,067 | 95,578 | +11,323 | -17,375 | -6,052 |
| 2024 Q4 | 952,258 | 94,439 | +6,552 | -14,271 | -7,719 |
| 2024 Q3 | 960,146 | 94,270 | +5,403 | -14,940 | -9,537 |
| 2024 Q2 | 969,849 | 94,104 | +5,465 | -14,759 | -9,294 |
| 2024 Q1 | 979,057 | 94,190 | +8,493 | -14,280 | -5,787 |
| 2023 Q4 | 986,958 | 92,076 | +10,533 | -10,892 | -359 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corsa Se | Petrol | 57,706 | 12% |
| Corsa Limited Edition | Petrol | 43,620 | 9% |
| Corsa Design | Diesel | 41,199 | 8% |
| Corsa Sxi Ac | Petrol | 33,258 | 7% |
| Corsa Energy Ac Ecoflex | Petrol | 32,290 | 7% |
| Corsa Sxi | Diesel | 28,729 | 6% |
| Corsa Sri Ecoflex | Petrol | 25,137 | 5% |
| Corsa Se Auto | Petrol | 24,079 | 5% |
| Corsa Energy | Petrol | 22,968 | 5% |
| Corsa Excite Ac | Gas | 22,336 | 5% |
| Corsa Energy Ac | Petrol | 20,402 | 4% |
| Corsa Sri | Petrol | 20,360 | 4% |
| Corsa Griffin | Petrol | 20,147 | 4% |
| Corsa Ultimate Turbo Auto | Petrol | 15,972 | 3% |
| Corsa Ultimate Turbo | Petrol | 14,947 | 3% |
| Corsa S Ecoflex | Diesel | 14,856 | 3% |
| Corsa Gs | Petrol | 13,942 | 3% |
| Corsa Se Ecoflex | Petrol | 12,299 | 3% |
| Corsa Sxi A/C | Petrol | 11,989 | 2% |
| Corsa Limited Edition Ecoflex | Petrol | 11,542 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 89.8% | wiper blade defective, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2020 | 81.5% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2019 | 83.9% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2018 | 81.9% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a tyre seriously damaged |
25 earlier years
| 2017 | 79.3% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2016 | 77% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated |
| 2015 | 74.7% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2014 | 69.3% | steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2013 | 69.8% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2012 | 69.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage |
| 2011 | 68.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage |
| 2010 | 66.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2009 | 65.7% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2008 | 65.2% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2007 | 64.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2006 | 63.2% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2005 | 62.7% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2004 | 63.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2003 | 62.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 2002 | 63.1% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2001 | 61.4% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2000 | 64.7% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1999 | 69.6% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
| 1998 | 68.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen |
| 1997 | 68.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced |
| 1996 | 68.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1995 | 68.2% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
| 1994 | 72.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 1993 | 85.6% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, a direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
Typical mileage
Half of all Corsas tested had between 35,378 and 62,621 miles on the clock.
At 47,210 median miles, the Corsa has 0.062 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Vauxhall models
| Vauxhall Astra | 72.5% |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 67.2% |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 76.7% |
| Vauxhall Insignia | 75.3% |
| Vauxhall Zafira | 69.9% |
Common questions
What is the Vauxhall Corsa MOT pass rate?
The Vauxhall Corsa has a 70.9% MOT pass rate based on 1,196,303 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Corsa?
The most common MOT failure on the Vauxhall Corsa is a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which caused 46,405 failures. Other common issues include steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc.
How many Vauxhall Corsas are on UK roads?
There are 930,048 Vauxhall Corsas currently licensed on UK roads, with 97,659 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Vauxhall Corsa at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Vauxhall Corsa is 47,210 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 35,378 and 62,621 miles.
Buying a used Corsa?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 70.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £114 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 25.9% of failures on this model could actually strand you, so breakdown cover may be worth considering.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.