MOT data by first-use year
2012 Chevrolet Cruze: MOT fail rate and common problems
DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 6,236 MOT tests · Updated
40.3% of 2012 Chevrolet Cruze cars failed their MOT at 13 years; measured against vehicles the same age and test year, about the same as the 2011 and 2013 cars (4,917 MOT tests) [1].
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- +5.2 to +4.0 points: the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 10 to 13 years, 6,236 MOT tests
- Coil spring broken: fails 1.6–2.1× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age at 13 years, 3,381 MOT tests of Chevrolet Cruze cars first used 2009–2012
- At 13 years (tested 2025): 40.3% failed, against 36.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 13 years in 2025, 1,319 MOT tests
Engine, fuel and mileage decide where one vehicle sits within these figures. Check the reg first.
Figures are for 2012 Chevrolet Cruze cars as a group, not for one car.
- Fail rate at 13 years (2025)
- 40.3%
- vs 36.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 13 years in 2025
- 1,319 MOT tests
- Gap to all class 4, same age and year
- +4.8 pts
- over ages 10–13: +4.0 to +5.2 pts
- 6,236 MOT tests
- Against the 2011 and 2013 cars
- −0.5 pts
- 95% range −3.8 to +2.7 pts, same ages, each against its own test year
- 4,917 MOT tests
- MOT tests of 2012 cars
- 6,236
- tested 2022–2025, 4 ages with 1,000+ tests
- 6,236 MOT tests
About the same as the 2011 and 2013 cars: −0.5 points at the same ages (10–12), each year against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year; 95% range −3.8 to +2.7, from 4,917 MOT tests of 2012 cars and 6,115 of the 2011 and 2013 cars. Not adjusted for mileage.
Every Chevrolet Cruze year against all class 4 vehicles the same age
2012 Chevrolet Cruze fail rate at each MOT
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate went from 37.6% to 40.3%, and the gap to all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year from +5.2 to +4.0 points. The widest gap was at 10 years (+5.2 points, 1,744 MOT tests).
| Test year | Age | Fail rate | 95% range | MOT tests | All class 4, same age and year | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10 years | 37.6% | 35.3%–39.9% | 1,744 | 32.4% | +5.2 pts |
| 2023 | 11 years | 39.3% | 37.0%–41.7% | 1,665 | 34.2% | +5.1 pts |
| 2024 | 12 years | 40.3% | 37.8%–42.7% | 1,508 | 35.5% | +4.8 pts |
| 2025 | 13 years | 40.3% | 37.6%–42.9% | 1,319 | 36.3% | +4.0 pts |
All class 4: every class 4 vehicle (cars and light vans) tested at that age in the same test year.
2012 against the 2011 and 2013 cars, age by age
| Age | 2012 | Years either side |
|---|---|---|
| 10 years | 37.6% 1,744 MOT tests, tested 2022 | 2013: 38.0% (1,359, tested 2023) |
| 11 years | 39.3% 1,665 MOT tests, tested 2023 | 2011: 39.2% (1,235, tested 2022) 2013: 38.8% (1,254, tested 2024) |
| 12 years | 40.3% 1,508 MOT tests, tested 2024 | 2011: 37.9% (1,128, tested 2023) 2013: 43.5% (1,139, tested 2025) |
Each year was tested in a different calendar year; the verdict compares each against all class 4 vehicles the same age tested in its own year.
What fails on a Chevrolet Cruze at 13 years
All Chevrolet Cruze MOTs at 13 years, cars first used 2009–2012 (3,381 MOT tests; DVSA item counts are not split by first-use year). The most common fail items: coil spring broken (7.5 per 100 MOT tests), side/position light not working (5.9 per 100 MOT tests, a wear item) and engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault (4.5 per 100 MOT tests).
Coil spring broken: fails 1.6–2.1× as often as all class 4 vehicles the same age, across at least 3 ages.
Road tax for a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
The Vehicle Certification Agency lists 27 petrol and diesel versions of the Chevrolet Cruze in its data from August 2011 to August 2012, from 117 to 184 g/km CO2 [3]. A car first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 is taxed by CO2 band, so that is 5 bands from C to I: from £35 to £360 a year at the 2026/27 rates [2].
| Band | 12 months | CO2 g/km | Petrol versions | Diesel versions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | £35 | 117 | 0 | 1 |
| F | £225 | 141–149 | 0 | 7 |
| G | £275 | 153–159 | 7 | 0 |
| H | £325 | 167–175 | 5 | 4 |
| I | £360 | 177–184 | 2 | 1 |
Versions listed, not cars sold: this does not say how common each band is. The CO2 figure on the car's V5C log book decides its band. Car tax calculator for a 2012 car
Car tax and ULEZ for a 2012 car
A car first registered in the UK in 2012 was issued a 61 (January–February), 12 (March–August) or 62 (September–December) plate, unless it was registered in Northern Ireland (no age identifier) or has since moved to a private plate. An imported one is plated when first registered here, so its plate can be newer than its first-use year. 12 plates
A 2012 car is taxed by its CO2 emissions band (A to M), shown on the V5C logbook. [2]
For the London ULEZ, a 2012 petrol usually meets Euro 4, and a 2012 diesel usually does not meet Euro 6. The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. [4] ULEZ checker
Buying a Chevrolet Cruze? Check that exact car before the viewing.
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- Model risks for this year and fuel
- What similar cars did at their next MOT
- Repairs ahead
- Viewing checklist
Questions people ask
What is the MOT fail rate of a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze?
40.3% at 13 years (tested 2025), from 1,319 MOT tests, against 36.3% for all class 4 vehicles tested at 13 years in 2025.
Does the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze fail more MOTs than the 2011 and 2013?
0.5 percentage points apart at the same ages (10–12), each against all class 4 vehicles the same age and test year, from 4,917 MOT tests (95% range −3.8 to +2.7), so about the same.
At what ages were 2012 Chevrolet Cruze cars MOT tested in the data?
4 ages with at least 1,000 MOT tests: 10–13 years, tested 2022–2025, 6,236 MOT tests in all.
What fails most on a Chevrolet Cruze at 13 years?
7.5 in 100 MOT tests failed on coil spring broken, the most common fail item. From 3,381 MOT tests of Chevrolet Cruze cars first used 2009–2012, not only 2012.
Sources
- Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 6,236 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Vehicle tax rates. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
- Vehicle Certification Agency, Car fuel and emissions data. VCA data, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone. Rules, not drawn from the MOT data.
Cars tested at 13 years are compared with every class 4 vehicle tested at 13 years in the same test year. These rates are not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare