The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Chevrolet Aveo common problems

What fails on the Chevrolet Aveo at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 7,366 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Chevrolet Aveo's most common MOT problems are suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres, recorded in 56.7%, 39.8% and 20.0% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2012 cars pass most often (55.3%) and 2009 cars least (46.6%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Chevrolet Aveo that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 7,366 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Aveo

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Chevrolet Aveo tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Suspension bushes

    56.7% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained18.0%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained9.9%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained8.1%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained5.5%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  2. 2.Bulbs and lamps

    39.8% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained18.3%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained9.7%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained6.3%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained5.4%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  3. 3.Tyres

    20.0% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained9.7%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained4.0%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.2%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained3.1%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

  4. 4.Ball joints

    18.2% of failed tests

    Steering and suspension ball joints wear internally and their dust covers split; excessive play fails.

    • “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play” — explained18.2%

    Across all cars, ball joints failures climb 28-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long ball joints last

  5. 5.Wiper blades and washers

    17.9% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained9.2%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained5.4%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.3%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  6. 6.Coil springs

    14.3% of failed tests

    Springs fatigue and corrode where the coating chips, then snap, often at the bottom coil; potholes and salt accelerate it.

    • “A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened” — explained14.3%

    Across all cars, coil springs failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 12–14 years. How long coil springs last

  7. 7.Brake callipers

    14.2% of failed tests

    Pistons and slider pins seize with corrosion and disuse, dragging a brake on or leaving one side weak; shows as imbalance on the roller tester.

    • “Significant brake effort recorded with no brake applied indicating a binding brake” — explained8.0%
    • “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.” — explained3.8%
    • “Brakes imbalance across an axle such that the braking effort from any wheel is less than 70% of the maximum effort recorded from the other wheel on the same axle.” — explained2.3%

  8. 8.Exhaust system

    9.3% of failed tests

    Silencers and pipes rust through from the inside on short-trip cars; rubber hangers perish.

    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained9.3%

    Across all cars, exhaust system failures climb 104-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long exhaust system last

By registration year

Aveo problems by year

MOT pass rate for Chevrolet Aveo cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2012, up 7.7 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200947%
201048%+1.0
201255%+7.7
201355%−0.4

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Aveo owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Chevrolet Aveo tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Aveo file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Chevrolet Aveo?
Going by what fails the MOT, suspension bushes (recorded in 56.7% of failed tests), bulbs and lamps (recorded in 39.8% of failed tests), and tyres (recorded in 20.0% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 7,366 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Chevrolet Aveo year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Chevrolet Aveo cars registered in 2012 do best at 55.3% and 2009 cars do worst at 46.6%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2012, up 7.7 points on 2011.
Is the Chevrolet Aveo reliable?
The Chevrolet Aveo passes 50.3% of MOTs unadjusted; its fleet is too narrow in age or mileage for a fair national comparison. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Chevrolet Aveo?
Start with what fails most: suspension bushes, bulbs and lamps, tyres. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of