Vauxhall Frontera
From 1,550 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are 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, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point, a suspension pin and bush or joint excessively worn. The top issue, 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, caused 78 failures in 2024. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| 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 | 78 |
| body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point | 69 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 68 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 64 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 58 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 58 |
| 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 | 52 |
| vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced | 46 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 44 |
| a suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 36 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 51% of Frontera failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 23% 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 £194.
Vauxhall Frontera on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 437 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 437. At this rate, roughly 10.3 years until none remain. Now at 7.3% of its peak (61,369 in 2003 Q4).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 474 | 4,008 | +0 | -34 | -34 |
| 2025 Q2 | 499 | 4,017 | +0 | -43 | -43 |
| 2025 Q1 | 528 | 4,031 | +0 | -132 | -132 |
| 2024 Q4 | 574 | 4,117 | +0 | -228 | -228 |
| 2024 Q3 | 621 | 4,298 | +0 | -123 | -123 |
| 2024 Q2 | 659 | 4,383 | +0 | -56 | -56 |
| 2024 Q1 | 681 | 4,417 | +0 | -54 | -54 |
| 2023 Q4 | 741 | 4,411 | +0 | -52 | -52 |
2 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontera Limited Dti | Diesel | 64 | 53% |
| Frontera Olympus Dti 16V | Diesel | 57 | 47% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 69.2% | a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 2003 | 68.7% | 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 |
| 2002 | 69% | 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 |
| 1999 | 68% | 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, a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources |
5 earlier years
| 1998 | 74.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
| 1997 | 69.3% | a suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated, stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning |
| 1996 | 74.8% | vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 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 | 67.8% | 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, emissions levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limits |
| 1994 | 72.2% | the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point |
Typical mileage
Half of all Fronteras tested had between 86,816 and 126,504 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 105,533 median miles, the Frontera has 0.028 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Vauxhall models
| Vauxhall Corsa | 70.9% |
| Vauxhall Astra | 72.5% |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 67.2% |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 76.7% |
| Vauxhall Insignia | 75.3% |
Common questions
What is the Vauxhall Frontera MOT pass rate?
The Vauxhall Frontera has a 70.1% MOT pass rate based on 1,550 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Frontera?
The most common MOT failure on the Vauxhall Frontera is 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, which caused 78 failures. Other common issues include body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point.
How many Vauxhall Fronteras are on UK roads?
There are 474 Vauxhall Fronteras currently licensed on UK roads, with 4,008 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Vauxhall Frontera at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Vauxhall Frontera is 105,533 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 86,816 and 126,504 miles.
Buying a used Frontera?
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 70.1% pass rate and an average repair bill of £194 when things go wrong, budget accordingly. 51% 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.