Vauxhall Combo Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Vauxhall Combo fails its MOT on, with rough repair costs, and how each model year's MOT pass rate compares with other cars of the same age. Based on 172,396 MOT tests across 25 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: small family car | Fuel: Petrol, Diesel
75%
Vauxhall Combo pass rate
84%
Vauxhall average
82%
All-model average
The Vauxhall Combo has an average MOT pass rate of 75%, which is 9 points below the Vauxhall average and 7 points below the average across all models in our data. Newer Vauxhall Combos pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 8 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Vauxhall Combo Fails Its MOT On
Of the 31,960 MOT tests on the Vauxhall Combo that failed at the first attempt in 2025, the share that failed on each part of the test, next to the share for all cars and vans of the same ages. A test that failed on two areas counts in both.
Lights and electrics
47%Cars and vans the same age: 38% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
41%Cars and vans the same age: 32% (the Combo fails on this more often) · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
25%Cars and vans the same age: 23% · Typical repair £80-£450
Tyres
21%Cars and vans the same age: 23% · Typical repair £50-£300
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
20%Cars and vans the same age: 16% (the Combo fails on this more often) · Typical repair £10-£350
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Coil spring: fractured or broken (15% of failed tests, suspension)
- Position lamp: not working (8.9% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Tyre tread depth below the 1.6mm limit (8.5% of failed tests, tyres)
Source: CarCostCheck analysis of DVSA anonymised MOT test results and failure items for 2025: first attempt at each MOT, fail and pass-after-repair defects, DVSA's defect categories (names shortened). Repair costs are rough UK ranges, not quotes. Method and national figures: MOT failure reasons 2025.
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Vauxhall Combo Years to Avoid
Every car in the 2024 MOT data was tested at the same age as the other cars first registered that year, so each Combo year is compared with all cars from the same year. Years with 1,000+ tests that were at least three years old are included.
Failed more often than cars their age
Passed more often than cars their age
No year passed 3 or more points more often than other cars of the same age.
A lower pass rate means that year failed its MOT more often in 2024; it does not mean every car from that year is bad. Old cars still on the road are often the best-kept ones, which can lift the pass rates of the oldest years. How a car has been looked after matters more, so check the MOT history of the car you are looking at.
Vauxhall Combo Reliability by Year
MOT pass rate for each model year, from DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024 (retests included). Newer cars usually pass more often simply because they are younger. All Cars is the pass rate of every car first registered that year, with the gap in points. Highest and lowest are marked among years with 100+ tests that were at least three years old when tested. Fuel and engine size are a guide only.
| Year | Fuel | Engine | Pass Rate | Fail Rate | All Cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Petrol | 1.2L | 85% | 14% | 93% (-8) |
| 2020 | Petrol | 1.2L | 82% | 17% | 92% (-10) |
| 2019 | Diesel | 1.2L | 84% | 15% | 91% (-7) |
| 2018 | Diesel | 1.2L | 81% | 19% | 89% (-8) |
| 2017 | Diesel | 1.2L | 77% | 22% | 87% (-10) |
| 2016 | Diesel | 1.2L | 75% | 24% | 86% (-11) |
| 2015 | Diesel | 1.4L | 74% | 25% | 84% (-10) |
| 2014 | Diesel | 1.2L | 73% | 26% | 82% (-9) |
| 2013 | Diesel | 1.2L | 72% | 27% | 80% (-8) |
| 2012 | Diesel | 1.2L | 70% | 29% | 79% (-9) |
| 2011 | Diesel | 1.2L | 74% | 26% | 77% (-3) |
| 2010 | Diesel | 1.2L | 72% | 27% | 75% (-3) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 1.2L | 69% | 30% | 75% (-6) |
| 2008 | Diesel | 1.2L | 68% | 31% | 74% (-6) |
| 2007 | Diesel | 1.2L | 68% | 31% | 73% (-5) |
| 2006 | Diesel | 1.2L | 66% | 33% | 73% (-7) |
| 2005 | Diesel | 1.2L | 67% | 31% | 73% (-6) |
| 2004 | Diesel | 1.2L | 65% | 33% | 72% (-7) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 1.6L | 65% | 34% | 72% (-7) |
| 2002 | Petrol | 1.6L | 67% | 32% | - |
| 2001 | Diesel | 1.7L | 66% | 34% | - |
| 2000 | Diesel | 1.7L | 67% | 33% | - |
| 1999 | Diesel | 1.7L | 84% | 16% | - |
| 1998 | Diesel | 1.7L | 83% | 17% | - |
| 1996 | Diesel | 1.7L | 75% | 20% | - |
Vauxhall Combo Running Costs
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Vauxhall Combo FAQ
What are the most common Vauxhall Combo problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Vauxhall Combo that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (47% of the 31,960 failed tests), suspension (41%) and brakes (25%). The single most common fault was "Coil spring: fractured or broken" (15%). Across 172,396 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 75% ended in a pass.
Is the Vauxhall Combo reliable?
The Vauxhall Combo has an average MOT pass rate of 75%, from 172,396 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included). Comparing each model year with all cars first registered the same year, so that age is allowed for, it passed 7 points less often on average, so check the history of any example carefully.
Which Vauxhall Combo years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2016 (75% of 9,354 tests passed, against 86% for all 2016 cars), the 2020 (82% of 16,650 tests passed, against 92% for all 2020 cars) and the 2015 (74% of 9,819 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. A year's pass rate does not tell you about one car, so check the MOT history of the car you are buying.
How much does it cost to fix common Vauxhall Combo faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Vauxhall Combo typically costs £80-£450 and suspension repairs £150-£600, while exhaust and emissions fixes can cost £80-£800. Lighting and wiper fixes are usually under £200.
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Other Vauxhall Models
Common problems pages for other Vauxhall models