Is the Vauxhall Corsa reliable?

The Vauxhall Corsa has an average MOT pass rate of 76% across 29 years, based on 1,531,243 tests in 2026. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2021 with a 96% pass rate.

Which year Vauxhall Corsa is best?

The 2021 Vauxhall Corsa has the highest MOT pass rate at 96%, while the 2003 model has the lowest at 67%. There's a 29 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Vauxhall Corsa

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 29 years from 1,531,243 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

76%

Total Tests

1,531,243

Best Year

2021 (96%)

Years Covered

About the Vauxhall Corsa

The Vauxhall Corsa has been tested 1,531,243 times in 2026 MOT data across 29 model years (1993 to 2021), with an average pass rate of 76%. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol and diesel.

Best and Worst Years

The 2021 model is the most reliable with a 96% pass rate from 204 tests. The 2003 model has the lowest at 67%. With a 29 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer VAUXHALL CORSAs show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 6 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1993) averages 62,430 miles, while the newest (2021) averages 21,555 miles.

Compared to the Vauxhall brand average of 84%, the Corsa is 8 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Vauxhall models.

Estimated Running Costs

Fuel (Petrol, 1199cc)

£955

Road Tax

£195

MOT Test

£55

Predicted Repairs

£200

Total per year£1,405

Per month£117/mo

Based on 7,400 miles/year, current fuel prices, and MOT pass rate data. Insurance not included.

Full 2021 details

How reliable is the Vauxhall Corsa?

vs national average-6% (82% avg)

vs Vauxhall brand average-8% (84% avg)

Best to worst year spread29 percentage points

Reliability trendImproving over years

Vauxhall Corsa by Year

Click any year to see detailed running costs, reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2021	96%	204	21,555 mi
2020	85%	348	28,514 mi
2019	88%	68,639	32,881 mi
2018	85%	86,266	41,031 mi
2017	82%	90,285	49,026 mi
2016	81%	133,045	56,744 mi
2015	78%	160,438	63,359 mi
2014	76%	141,747	69,331 mi
2013	77%	136,838	75,022 mi
2012	76%	138,265	79,639 mi
2011	75%	111,868	83,401 mi
2010	74%	99,909	85,864 mi
2009	73%	91,541	89,332 mi
2008	73%	84,782	91,750 mi
2007	72%	65,133	92,716 mi
2006	68%	34,523	86,148 mi
2005	68%	23,877	84,722 mi
2004	68%	17,048	83,203 mi
2003	67%	14,521	83,708 mi
2002	68%	9,309	82,576 mi
2001	68%	6,337	80,064 mi
2000	69%	2,465	68,980 mi
1999	89%	7,697	80,319 mi
1998	73%	2,514	71,159 mi
1997	72%	1,694	72,132 mi
1996	74%	831	72,499 mi
1995	72%	537	74,332 mi
1994	77%	395	63,135 mi
1993	88%	187	62,430 mi