Vauxhall Insignia
From 315,992 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Insignias fare better: 2021 models pass at 81.4% vs 68.2% for 2009.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements and a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm. The top issue, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, caused 12,970 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 | 12,970 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 10,713 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 8,042 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 6,195 |
| a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led | 5,418 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 5,389 |
| a rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources | 5,322 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 4,398 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 4,252 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 4,037 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 19.4% of Insignia failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 35.8% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £113.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Insignia passes its MOT 86.7% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 77%, a 9.7 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 73.3%. With an average repair bill of £113 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Insignia that's past its third birthday.
Vauxhall Insignia on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 16,700 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 8 newly registered, a net loss of 16,692. At this rate, roughly 11 years until none remain. Now at 71.7% of its peak (256,236 in 2019 Q1).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 168,156 | 15,569 | +1 | -4,330 | -4,329 |
| 2025 Q2 | 172,933 | 15,121 | +1 | -4,906 | -4,905 |
| 2025 Q1 | 178,197 | 14,762 | +3 | -3,929 | -3,926 |
| 2024 Q4 | 182,574 | 14,311 | +3 | -3,535 | -3,532 |
| 2024 Q3 | 186,788 | 13,629 | +0 | -4,524 | -4,524 |
| 2024 Q2 | 191,662 | 13,279 | +1 | -4,146 | -4,145 |
| 2024 Q1 | 196,211 | 12,875 | +0 | -4,026 | -4,026 |
| 2023 Q4 | 200,726 | 12,386 | +1 | -3,186 | -3,185 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insignia Techline Cdti Eco S/S | Diesel | 9,108 | 10% |
| Insignia Elite Nav Cdti Eco Ss | Diesel | 8,385 | 9% |
| Insignia Dsign Nav Cdti Eco Ss | Diesel | 6,312 | 7% |
| Insignia Sri | Petrol | 5,350 | 6% |
| Insignia Sri Cdti Ecoflex S/S | Diesel | 5,133 | 6% |
| Insignia Sri Vx-Line Nav Turbo | Petrol | 4,925 | 5% |
| Insignia Sri Cdti | Diesel | 4,546 | 5% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Cdti Eco S/S | Diesel | 4,499 | 5% |
| Insignia Design Cdti Eco S/S | Diesel | 4,385 | 5% |
| Insignia Exclusiv | Diesel | 4,374 | 5% |
| Insignia Elite Nav Cdti Auto | Diesel | 4,075 | 4% |
| Insignia Sri Vx-Line Nav T D | Diesel | 4,021 | 4% |
| Insignia Sr Nav Cdti Eco S/S | Diesel | 3,810 | 4% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Cdti Eflex Ss | Diesel | 3,792 | 4% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Vx Cdtieco Ss | Diesel | 3,563 | 4% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Cdti | Diesel | 3,460 | 4% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Cdti Auto | Diesel | 2,997 | 3% |
| Insignia Sri 158 Cdti | Diesel | 2,933 | 3% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Vxlne Cdti Ss | Diesel | 2,743 | 3% |
| Insignia Sri Nav Turbo | Petrol | 2,178 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81.4% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2020 | 86.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen |
| 2019 | 84.4% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2018 | 85.1% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
10 earlier years
| 2017 | 81.3% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2016 | 77% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 76.1% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 74.3% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2013 | 73.3% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2012 | 71.8% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2011 | 71.1% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2010 | 70.5% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2009 | 68.2% | a shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2008 | 60.4% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc |
Typical mileage
Half of all Insignias tested had between 64,786 and 126,934 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 90,177 median miles, the Insignia has 0.027 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 Zafira | 69.9% |
Common questions
What is the Vauxhall Insignia MOT pass rate?
The Vauxhall Insignia has a 75.3% MOT pass rate based on 315,992 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Vauxhall Insignia?
The most common MOT failure on the Vauxhall Insignia is a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which caused 12,970 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Vauxhall Insignias are on UK roads?
There are 168,156 Vauxhall Insignias currently licensed on UK roads, with 15,569 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Vauxhall Insignia at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Vauxhall Insignia is 90,177 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 64,786 and 126,934 miles.
Buying a used Insignia?
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 75.3% pass rate and an average repair bill of £113 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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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.