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Vauxhall Viva reliability

C · Average

MOT pass rates and common problems from 273,528 MOT tests of cars first registered 2015–2019.

Jump to: YearsEnginesCommon failures
84.0%pass first time
−0.8 ptsvs typical car
Beats 41%of cars
273,528MOT tests

Verdict

The Vauxhall Viva passes its MOT first time on 84.0% of tests, 0.8 points lower than a typical car of the same age and mileage (84.8%). That puts it ahead of 41% of cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account.

By year of first registration, the 2015 Viva does best (beats 51% of cars) and the 2019 worst (beats 31%).

Better than average on lights & electrics, brakes.

Watch these weak spots

Tyres1.4×as often as a typical car
Visibility1.7×as often as a typical car
Tyre pressure warning (TPMS)4.7×as often as a typical car
Windscreen wipers2.0×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

60%70%80%90%100%3456789101191%87%87%86%84%81%76%71%72%
Vauxhall VivaTypical car, same age & mileage

Best and worst years

By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.

2015
Beats 51%
2016
Beats 42%
2017
Beats 36%
2018
Beats 38%
2019
Beats 31%

Engines

All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

EngineYearsTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol2015–2019273,52884.0%Beats 41%C

Where it fails

Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.

Exhaust: 1.0% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 0.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Suspension: 2.3% of tests fail on suspension, against 2.7% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Lights: 2.9% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Tyres: 6.0% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Brakes: 1.7% of tests fail on brakes, against 2.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Lights: 2.9% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights+0.9 ptsTyres: 6.0% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−1.6 ptsBrakes: 1.7% of tests fail on brakes, against 2.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes+0.8 ptsSuspension: 2.3% of tests fail on suspension, against 2.7% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+0.4 ptsExhaust: 1.0% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 0.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 ptsSuspension: 2.3% of tests fail on suspension, against 2.7% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Brakes: 1.7% of tests fail on brakes, against 2.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Tyres: 6.0% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Lights: 2.9% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Exhaust: 1.0% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 0.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Lights: 2.9% of tests fail on lights & electrics, against 3.8% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Walk round the car with every light on, including brake, fog and number plate lights.Lights+0.9 ptsTyres: 6.0% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.Tyres−1.6 ptsBrakes: 1.7% of tests fail on brakes, against 2.5% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Brake firmly on the test drive: the car should stop straight with no pulsing or grinding.Brakes+0.8 ptsSuspension: 2.3% of tests fail on suspension, against 2.7% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for knocks over speed bumps and push each corner down: it should settle at once.Suspension+0.4 ptsExhaust: 1.0% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 0.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.Exhaust−0.1 pts
Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical
Tyres: 6.0% of tests fail on tyres, against 4.4% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Check the tread on every tyre, including the inner edge, and look for cuts or bulges.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Tyres
6.0% vs 4.4%
Visibility
5.3% vs 3.2%
Lights & electrics
2.9% vs 3.8%
Suspension
2.3% vs 2.7%
Brakes
1.7% vs 2.5%
Body & structure
1.1% vs 0.8%
Emissions & leaks
1.0% vs 0.9%
Steering
0.5% vs 0.5%
Seat belts & airbags
0.1% vs 0.3%
Wheels
0.1% vs 0.2%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

  • Tyre pressure warning (TPMS) 4.7× typical
    Make sure no tyre-pressure warning light stays on after start-up.
  • Windscreen wipers 2.0× typical
    Test the washers and wipers: a cheap fix, but a very common MOT fail.
  • Exhaust system 4.1× typical
    Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look for heavy corrosion underneath.
  • Anti-roll bar links 4.1× typical
    A knock or rattle over uneven roads usually means worn anti-roll bar links (cheap to fix).
  • Engine warning light 1.4× typical
    The engine warning light should come on with the ignition and go out once the engine starts. If it stays on, get the fault codes read before you buy.
  • Tyre damage & cracking
    Look for cuts, bulges and cracking on both sidewalls of every tyre.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

50%60%70%80%90%100%0k10k20k30k40k50k60k70k80k90k100k93%86%79%71%66%58%
Vauxhall VivaTypical car

Most common MOT failures

ItemThis carTypicalvs typical
Windscreen wipers4.0%2.0%2.0×
Tyre pressure warning (TPMS)2.9%0.6%4.7×
Tyre damage & cracking2.3%2.7%0.9×
Windscreen washers1.4%1.1%1.3×
Headlight aim1.3%1.5%0.9×
Tyre tread depth1.1%1.3%0.9×
Brake pads0.9%1.2%0.8×
Exhaust system0.8%0.2%4.1×
Ball joint dust covers0.7%0.1%6.7×
Engine warning light0.7%0.5%1.4×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defectper 1,000
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen39.6
A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative28.7
A tyre seriously damaged15.7
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen14.3
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements12.9
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.5
A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc10.7
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.1
Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Every year and engine

Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

2019 Vauxhall Viva1 engine87.0% passD
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol20,27487.0%Beats 31%D
2018 Vauxhall Viva1 engine86.3% passD
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol32,22086.3%Beats 38%D
2017 Vauxhall Viva1 engine84.5% passD
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol66,92584.5%Beats 36%D
2016 Vauxhall Viva1 engine83.0% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol109,03883.0%Beats 42%C
2015 Vauxhall Viva1 engine82.9% passC
EngineTestsPass rateRankGrade
1.0 Petrol45,07182.9%Beats 51%C

FAQ

What is the Vauxhall Viva MOT pass rate?

84.0% of MOT tests on the Vauxhall Viva were passed first time, based on 273,528 tests between 2018 and 2026 of cars first registered 2015–2019. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 84.8% of the time.

Is the Vauxhall Viva reliable?

On MOT results it rates C (average): it passes first time less often than a typical car of the same age and mileage and does better than 41% of cars on UK roads. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Vauxhall Viva year is best?

Among years with enough data, the 2015 Viva does best for its age and mileage: it beats 51% of cars on UK roads. The 2019 does worst: it beats 31%.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Vauxhall Viva?

The most common failure items are windscreen wipers, tyre pressure warning (TPMS), tyre damage & cracking. Compared with similar cars, tyre pressure warning (TPMS) comes up 4.7× as often.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.