Vauxhall Corsa Reliability: Common Problems and Years to Avoid
What the Vauxhall Corsa 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 1,531,243 MOT tests across 29 model years (DVSA data for tests carried out in 2024, retests included).
Segment: small family car | Fuel: Petrol, Diesel
77%
Vauxhall Corsa pass rate
84%
Vauxhall average
82%
All-model average
The Vauxhall Corsa has an average MOT pass rate of 77%, which is 7 points below the Vauxhall average and 5 points below the average across all models in our data. Newer Vauxhall Corsas pass their MOT more often than older ones, by 6 percentage points on average, which is mostly down to age and wear.
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What the Vauxhall Corsa Fails Its MOT On
Of the 296,461 MOT tests on the Vauxhall Corsa 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
40%Cars and vans the same age: 39% · Typical repair £15-£200
Suspension
37%Cars and vans the same age: 35% · Typical repair £150-£600
Brakes
18%Cars and vans the same age: 23% · Typical repair £80-£450
Tyres
17%Cars and vans the same age: 21% · Typical repair £50-£300
Windscreen, wipers and mirrors
16%Cars and vans the same age: 15% · Typical repair £10-£350
The 3 single faults it failed on most
- Coil spring: fractured or broken (19% of failed tests, suspension)
- Stop lamp: not working (10% of failed tests, lights and electrics)
- Track rod end: ball joint dust cover excessively damaged or deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (9.7% of failed tests, steering)
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 Corsa 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 Corsa 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
- 1999: 89% passed, against 75% for all 1999 cars (14 points higher, 7,697 tests)
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 Corsa 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 | 96% | 3% | - |
| 2020 | Petrol | 1.2L | 85% | 14% | - |
| 2019 | Petrol | 1.4L | 88% | 12% | 91% (-3) |
| 2018 | Petrol | 1.4L | 85% | 14% | 89% (-4) |
| 2017 | Petrol | 1.4L | 82% | 17% | 87% (-5) |
| 2016 | Petrol | 1.4L | 81% | 19% | 86% (-5) |
| 2015 | Petrol | 1.4L | 78% | 21% | 84% (-6) |
| 2014 | Petrol | 1.4L | 76% | 24% | 82% (-6) |
| 2013 | Petrol | 1.4L | 77% | 23% | 80% (-3) |
| 2012 | Petrol | 1.4L | 76% | 23% | 79% (-3) |
| 2011 | Petrol | 1.4L | 75% | 24% | 77% (-2) |
| 2010 | Petrol | 1.4L | 74% | 25% | 75% (-1) |
| 2009 | Diesel | 1.2L | 73% | 26% | 75% (-2) |
| 2008 | Petrol | 1.2L | 73% | 27% | 74% (-1) |
| 2007 | Diesel | 1.2L | 72% | 27% | 73% (-1) |
| 2006 | Petrol | 1.2L | 68% | 31% | 73% (-5) |
| 2005 | Petrol | 1.2L | 68% | 31% | 73% (-5) |
| 2004 | Petrol | 1.0L | 68% | 31% | 72% (-4) |
| 2003 | Petrol | 1.0L | 67% | 32% | 72% (-5) |
| 2002 | Diesel | 1.2L | 68% | 31% | 73% (-5) |
| 2001 | Petrol | 1.0L | 68% | 31% | 73% (-5) |
| 2000 | Petrol | 1.2L | 69% | 29% | 74% (-5) |
| 1999 | Petrol | 1.2L | 89% | 10% | 75% (+14) |
| 1998 | Petrol | 1.2L | 73% | 25% | 76% (-3) |
| 1997 | Petrol | 1.2L | 72% | 28% | 76% (-4) |
| 1996 | Petrol | 1.2L | 74% | 25% | - |
| 1995 | Petrol | 1.2L | 72% | 27% | - |
| 1994 | Petrol | 1.2L | 77% | 23% | - |
| 1993 | Petrol | 1.2L | 88% | 12% | - |
Vauxhall Corsa Running Costs
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Vauxhall Corsa FAQ
What are the most common Vauxhall Corsa problems?
In 2025, MOT tests on the Vauxhall Corsa that failed at the first attempt most often failed on lights and electrics (40% of the 296,461 failed tests), suspension (37%) and brakes (18%). The single most common fault was "Coil spring: fractured or broken" (19%). Across 1,531,243 MOT tests (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), 77% ended in a pass.
Is the Vauxhall Corsa reliable?
The Vauxhall Corsa has an average MOT pass rate of 77%, from 1,531,243 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 4 points less often on average, so check the history of any example carefully.
Which Vauxhall Corsa years should I avoid?
Compared with all cars first registered the same year (DVSA MOT data for tests in 2024, retests included), the 2015 (78% of 160,438 tests passed, against 84% for all 2015 cars), the 2014 (76% of 141,747 tests passed, against 82% for all 2014 cars) and the 2016 (81% of 133,045 tests passed, against 86% for all 2016 cars) failed their MOT most often for their age. The years that passed most often for their age were the 1999 (89% of 7,697 tests passed, against 75% for all 1999 cars). 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 Corsa faults?
As a rough guide, brake work on a Vauxhall Corsa 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