MOT performance
Vauxhall Corsa diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 150,893 MOT tests on diesel Vauxhall Corsas in 2023–2024 (on average 11.2 years old at test, median 95,686 miles), 58.7% passed first time, against 64.7% of 1,704,305 petrol Vauxhall Corsa tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Vauxhall Corsas failed 19% more often than comparable cars — 1.19× against 1.22× for the Vauxhall Corsa as a whole.
150,893 MOT tests on 80,925 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 58.7% | ±0.2 pts (95%), n = 150,893 |
| All Vauxhall Corsas | 64.3% | n = 1,866,540 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.19× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Vauxhall Corsa overall 1.22× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 9.7% | n = 150,893 |
| Average age at test | 11.2 years | n = 150,893 |
| Registration years covered | 1990–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Vauxhall Corsa fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.5 years older on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,704,305 | 9.7 yrs | 64.7% | +22% | 7.6% |
| Diesel | 150,893 | 11.2 yrs | 58.7% | +19% | 9.7% |
| Electric | 11,334 | 2.5 yrs | 82.0% | +56% | 4.9% |
Where diesel Vauxhall Corsas differ
- Steering: diesel Vauxhall Corsas failed 36% less often than the Vauxhall Corsa overall, relative to comparable cars (1.35× vs 2.12×).
- Seat belts and airbags: diesel Vauxhall Corsas failed 20% less often than the Vauxhall Corsa overall, relative to comparable cars (0.74× vs 0.93×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Vauxhall Corsas (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 19.0% (+35%) | 14.3% (+24%) |
| Suspension | 17.1% (+35%) | 12.3% (+35%) |
| Brakes | 8.3% (-6%) | 7.0% (+7%) |
| Tyres | 8.1% (+9%) | 6.5% (+3%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 7.6% (+50%) | 7.1% (+45%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 4.9% (+4%) | 4.0% (+23%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.8% (+38%) | 4.8% (+46%) |
| Steering | 3.8% (+35%) | 3.9% (+112%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 1.0% (-26%) | 0.8% (-7%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.5% (+13%) | 0.3% (+4%) |
| Road wheels | 0.3% (-33%) | 0.2% (-26%) |
Most common diesel Vauxhall Corsa failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 8.23% |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.53% |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.67% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Driver's view of the road | 3.67% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.65% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) | electric pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 80.2% (2,818) | 81.2% (190,089) | 77.6% (4,841) |
| 5-6 | 75.3% (9,610) | 77.1% (203,186) | — |
| 7-8 | 66.8% (20,202) | 68.6% (291,622) | — |
| 9-10 | 58.2% (31,371) | 59.6% (270,557) | — |
| 11-12 | 56.9% (31,129) | 58.6% (237,109) | — |
| 13-15 | 53.2% (40,441) | 54.4% (262,571) | — |
| 16+ | 50.4% (14,274) | 50.8% (189,455) | — |
Vauxhall Corsa by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1999 Vauxhall Corsa · 58.4%
- 2000 Vauxhall Corsa · 56.0%
- 2001 Vauxhall Corsa · 49.4%
- 2002 Vauxhall Corsa · 50.1%
- 2003 Vauxhall Corsa · 48.9%
- 2004 Vauxhall Corsa · 49.2%
- 2005 Vauxhall Corsa · 48.8%
- 2006 Vauxhall Corsa · 49.5%
- 2007 Vauxhall Corsa · 52.2%
- 2008 Vauxhall Corsa · 52.9%
- 2009 Vauxhall Corsa · 54.2%
- 2010 Vauxhall Corsa · 55.3%
- 2011 Vauxhall Corsa · 58.2%
- 2012 Vauxhall Corsa · 58.9%
- 2013 Vauxhall Corsa · 59.5%
- 2014 Vauxhall Corsa · 58.8%
- 2015 Vauxhall Corsa · 67.7%
- 2016 Vauxhall Corsa · 72.4%
- 2017 Vauxhall Corsa · 75.6%
- 2018 Vauxhall Corsa · 78.7%
- 2019 Vauxhall Corsa · 80.0%
- 2020 Vauxhall Corsa · 84.1%
- 2021 Vauxhall Corsa · 85.7%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Vauxhall Corsa
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.