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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2017 Vauxhall Vivaro MOT fail rate and common faults

How Vauxhall Vivaro cars first used in 2017 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 49,989 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 8 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 8 (n=12,134)38.1%
All cars at 8 years (n=10,440,457)23.8%
Difference+14.3 pts
MOT tests of 2017 cars, 2022 to 202549,989

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 8 years old, Vauxhall Vivaro cars first used in 2017 failed 38.1% of MOTs (12,134 tests), 14.3 points above the 23.8% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 5 to 8 years old, the fail rate moved from 29.0% to 38.1%.
  • Vauxhall Vivaro cars first used a year earlier, in 2016, failed 40.2% at the same age of 8 years (19,421 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Vauxhall Vivaro at 8 years, is steering track rod end: ball joint play, at 12.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.7).

MOT fail rate by test year

Vauxhall Vivaro cars first used in 2017: 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
20225 years29.0%12,73115.3%+13.7 pts
20236 years32.5%12,65117.8%+14.7 pts
20247 years37.8%12,47320.6%+17.1 pts
20258 years38.1%12,13423.8%+14.3 pts

Most common faults at 8 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Vivaro MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,384). 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
Steering track rod end: ball joint play12.50.7
Coil spring broken6.12.1
Anti-roll bar link worn5.30.3
Shock absorber leaking4.00.6
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear3.72.0
Engine warning lamp at the diesel emissions check: not working or showing a fault3.10.6
Brake light not working Wear2.71.3
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear2.62.3
Side/position light not working Wear2.51.2
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear2.40.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=67,384). 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 Wear14.615.7
Brake pads wearing thin Wear10.58.6
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened10.08.6
Shock absorber misting oil7.92.8
Track rod end ball joint: slight play7.40.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear6.51.9
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view5.52.1
Anti-roll bar link ball joint: slight play5.50.5
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear4.98.6
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive3.81.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=67,384). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 8 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Vivaro MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,384). 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
Diesel100.0%40.2%67,38225.1%94,442 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 8 years

These figures cover all Vauxhall Vivaro MOTs at 8 years: cars first used 2014 to 2017, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=67,384). At 8 years, Vauxhall Vivaro cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (44.0%, n=8,580) than those at under 30,000 miles (19.5%, n=1,100). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Under 30,000 miles19.5%1,10013.4%
30,000 to 60,000 miles32.1%9,92721.0%
60,000 to 90,000 miles39.6%19,25926.6%
90,000 to 120,000 miles43.0%17,22830.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles44.4%10,54431.7%
Over 150,000 miles44.0%8,58031.3%

Car tax rules for a 2017 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.
  • Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.
  • A car first used in 2017 can fall under either rule, so the registration date on the logbook decides.

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

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Diesel cars first registered from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
  • 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 Vivaro

Other Vauxhall models first used in 2017

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Vauxhall Combo (2017)8 years in 202539.6%3,51723.8%

More on the Vauxhall Vivaro

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 2017 Vauxhall Vivaro 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.