Buying Report · £14.99
Tools

MOT fail rates by first-use year

2012 Vauxhall Insignia MOT fail rate and common faults

How Vauxhall Insignia cars first used in 2012 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 84,041 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 13 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 13 (n=17,139)37.3%
All cars at 13 years (n=6,612,160)38.3%
Difference−0.9 pts
MOT tests of 2012 cars, 2022 to 202584,041

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 13 years old, Vauxhall Insignia cars first used in 2012 failed 37.3% of MOTs (17,139 tests), about the same as the 38.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 10 to 13 years old, the fail rate moved from 33.6% to 37.3%.
  • Vauxhall Insignia cars first used a year earlier, in 2011, failed 36.4% at the same age of 13 years (22,499 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Vauxhall Insignia at 13 years, is coil spring broken, at 5.4 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 4.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Vauxhall Insignia cars first used in 2012: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202210 years33.6%24,32230.3%+3.3 pts
202311 years35.7%22,57233.3%+2.4 pts
202412 years36.3%20,00836.0%+0.3 pts
202513 years37.3%17,13938.3%−0.9 pts

Most common faults at 13 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Insignia MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,754). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Coil spring broken5.44.1
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear4.63.0
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear3.52.1
Shock absorber leaking3.21.5
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Wear2.51.8
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Wear2.50.9
Tyre with cords exposed Wear2.51.8
Wipers not clearing screen Wear2.52.1
Dipped headlight not working Wear2.52.2
Side/position light not working Wear2.34.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=71,754). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear24.218.2
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive15.37.2
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened9.73.8
Brake pads wearing thin Wear9.67.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened8.510.6
Shock absorber misting oil8.44.0
Coil spring: corroded7.95.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear7.25.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear7.19.1
Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Wear4.81.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=71,754). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 13 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Insignia MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,754). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel77.0%37.0%55,24339.1%119,582 miles
Petrol23.0%37.9%16,50137.7%92,036 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 13 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Insignia MOTs at 13 years: cars first used 2009 to 2012, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,754). At 13 years, Vauxhall Insignia cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (40.9%, n=11,285) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (25.6%, n=3,163). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles25.6%3,16329.1%
60,000 to 90,000 miles33.4%13,63238.0%
90,000 to 120,000 miles38.0%23,90942.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles39.8%18,50243.2%
Over 150,000 miles40.9%11,28543.0%

Car tax rules for a 2012 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2012 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Vauxhall Insignia

Other Vauxhall models first used in 2012

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Vauxhall Corsa (2012)13 years in 202542.3%68,79038.3%
Vauxhall Astra (2012)13 years in 202535.4%46,73538.3%
Vauxhall Zafira (2012)13 years in 202539.2%14,48138.3%
Vauxhall Meriva (2012)13 years in 202534.9%8,21038.3%
Vauxhall Antara (2012)13 years in 202547.5%5,14738.3%
Vauxhall Agila (2012)13 years in 202537.7%3,91438.3%

More on the Vauxhall Insignia

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2012 Vauxhall Insignia cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.