MOT failures by make
Vauxhall MOT failures for “Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak”
Vauxhall cars failed their MOT on “Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak” in 1.46% of 6,000,257 tests in 2023–2024 (87,872 tests) — 1.6 times as often as comparable cars of the same age, mileage and fuel, which would have failed on it in about 0.94% of tests. It is the number 13 most common failure item on Vauxhalls.
Data to 2024-12-30 · Page updated 2026-09-28 · Publisher: 73 Auto
- Vauxhall tests failing on it
- 1.46%
- 87,872 of 6,000,257 tests, 2023–2024
- Comparable cars
- 0.94%
- national rate at the same age, mileage and fuel
- Observed ÷ expected
- 1.55×
- 73 Auto analysis · rank #13 for Vauxhall
How unusual this is for the make
Across all MOT failures, Vauxhalls fail 1.14× as often as comparable cars. On this item the gap is 1.37× wider than that overall level, so it is a genuine Vauxhall pattern rather than a reflection of how often the make fails in general. It is a major defect in the suspension part of the test. Nationally it appears on 0.84% of MOT tests.
Vauxhall models and “Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak”
The Vauxhall Adam is most affected (8.04× comparable cars); the Vauxhall Grandland least (0.04×). Not every model follows the make: the pattern is concentrated in some models. Model rows compare with cars of the same age and fuel.
| Model | Tests | Failed on it | vs similar cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vauxhall Adam | 118,376 | 4.78% | 8.04× |
| Vauxhall Vivaro | 372,179 | 2.51% | 2.79× |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 1,866,540 | 2.20% | 2.43× |
| Vauxhall Combo | 216,750 | 1.64% | 1.85× |
| Vauxhall Insignia | 417,125 | 1.38% | 1.58× |
| Vauxhall Astravan | 17,586 | 2.31% | 1.50× |
| Vauxhall Agila | 73,056 | 1.63% | 1.25× |
| Vauxhall Meriva | 192,414 | 1.39% | 1.20× |
| Vauxhall Vectra | 68,354 | 1.64% | 1.07× |
| Vauxhall Zafira | 428,012 | 0.96% | 0.88× |
| Vauxhall Astra | 1,346,024 | 0.85% | 0.83× |
| Vauxhall Antara | 43,032 | 0.75% | 0.75× |
| Vauxhall Movano | 10,155 | 0.68% | 0.70× |
| Vauxhall Tigra | 15,029 | 0.62% | 0.41× |
| Vauxhall Viva | 76,738 | 0.17% | 0.40× |
| Vauxhall Mokka | 453,553 | 0.07% | 0.13× |
| Vauxhall Crossland | 118,672 | 0.03% | 0.11× |
| Vauxhall Grandland | 128,165 | 0.01% | 0.04× |
By age at test
The difference is largest at 5-6 years old: 0.70% of Vauxhall tests against 0.36% for comparable cars.
| Age (years) | Vauxhall tests | Vauxhall | Comparable cars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 608,576 | 0.27% | 0.23% |
| 5-6 | 788,419 | 0.70% | 0.36% |
| 7-8 | 1,046,193 | 1.12% | 0.67% |
| 9-10 | 972,380 | 1.23% | 0.92% |
| 11-12 | 774,098 | 2.08% | 1.34% |
| 13-15 | 894,862 | 2.74% | 1.67% |
| 16+ | 736,060 | 2.19% | 1.42% |
Other Vauxhall MOT faults that stand out
- Coil spring: fractured or broken · 2.09× comparable cars
- Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction · 1.74× comparable cars
- Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases · 1.68× comparable cars
Limitations
Official data: DVSA's anonymised MOT results (2023–2024), class 4 initial tests, cars at least 2.5 years old. 73 Auto analysis: the comparison rate applies the national rate of this item for each test's own age, mileage band and fuel to the Vauxhall tests. An MOT result reflects maintenance, mileage and how a car is used as well as its design, so this is not a measure of which make is most reliable. The wording of the defect is DVSA's.
Has this Vauxhall failed on it before?
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UK number plate or 17-character VIN
Where these figures come from
- Anonymised MOT tests and results (2023 and 2024) — Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). Open Government Licence v3.0.
Figures labelled as 73 Auto estimates are our own analysis of these sources, set out in the methodology and data sources. To report a factual error, see corrections.