Vauxhall Viva MOT failures and reliability
In 2023 the Vauxhall Viva took 38,474 MOT tests in Britain and passed 85% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.
- MOT tests in 2023
- 38,474
- First-time pass rate
- 85%
- All cars
- 71%
What the Viva fails on
Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.
- Tyres5.3% (all cars 6.4%)
- Visibility4.8% (all cars 4.8%)
- Lights and electrics2.8% (all cars 11.3%)
- Brakes1.7% (all cars 6.8%)
- Suspension1.5% (all cars 9.0%)
- Body and structure1.1% (all cars 3.5%)
- Exhaust and emissions0.9% (all cars 3.1%)
- Steering0.5% (all cars 1.8%)
Most common failure items
Share of tests on which each item was recorded.
- Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 3.3%
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative 1.6%
- Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.3%
- Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.1%
- Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.1%
- Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 1.0%
- Tyres, condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 0.7%
- Headlamp aim: too low 0.7%
Most common advisories
- Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 14.3%
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 10.7%
- Brake pads: wearing thin 5.4%
- Exhaust system: mounting defective 4.5%
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 2.5%
- Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 2.1%
- Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 1.9%
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 1.9%
Pass rate by year of registration
Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.
| First registered | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 5,172 | 82% |
| 2016 | 13,853 | 84% |
| 2017 | 9,761 | 86% |
| 2018 | 5,485 | 88% |
| 2019 | 4,134 | 89% |
Typical mileage by age
Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.
| Age at test | Average mileage |
|---|---|
| 4 years | 19,480 miles |
| 5 years | 24,600 miles |
| 6 years | 30,930 miles |
| 7 years | 36,599 miles |
| 8 years | 39,668 miles |
Check a particular Viva
Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.
Other Vauxhall models
- Vauxhall Corsa
- Vauxhall Astra
- Vauxhall Zafira
- Vauxhall Mokka
- Vauxhall Insignia
- Vauxhall Vivaro
- Vauxhall Combo
- Vauxhall Meriva
- Vauxhall Adam
- Vauxhall Grandland
- Vauxhall Crossland
- Vauxhall Vectra
- Vauxhall Agila
- Vauxhall Antara
- Vauxhall Astravan
- Vauxhall Tigra
- Vauxhall Movano
- Vauxhall Corsavan
- Vauxhall Cascada
- Vauxhall Signum
- Vauxhall Omega
- Vauxhall Cavalier
- Vauxhall Ampera
Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.