Vauxhall Astravan MOT pass rate & common failures

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

We are not publishing a ranking for the Astravan. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 6,253 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Vauxhall Astravan tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1. 1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened21.1%

   496 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained

2. 2.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded18.8%

   442 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained

3. 3.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements15.1%

   355 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained

4. 4.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement12.5%

   293 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

5. 5.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.3%

   264 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

6. 6.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn11.0%

   258 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

7. 7.The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired10.6%

   248 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

8. 8.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.4%

   244 occurrencesLamp not working explained

9. 9.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen8.3%

   195 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

10. 10.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.9%

    186 occurrencesShock absorber defective explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Vauxhall Astravan tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1. 1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded40.0%

   2,503 testsBrake pipe corroded explained

2. 2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements30.5%

   1,908 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained

3. 3.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users21.5%

   1,344 tests

4. 4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured20.7%

   1,295 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

5. 5.A tyre seriously damaged16.7%

   1,043 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained

6. 6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened14.6%

   914 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained

7. 7.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage10.1%

   633 testsShock absorber defective explained

8. 8.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn9.3%

   579 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Vauxhall Astravan

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

• Registration plate missing, insecure or illegible8.4%
• Ball joint worn7.7%
• Tyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating7.6%
• Brake drum or shoe worn or contaminated6.1%
• Engine management light on, or not working5.9%
• Stop lamp not working5.1%
• Brake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing4.9%
• Exhaust leaking or insecure4.4%
• Lamp of the wrong colour, position or intensity4.4%
• Driveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing4.3%
• Brake binding or imbalanced across an axle3.9%
• Headlamp not working3.7%
• Emissions above the permitted limit3.2%
• Brake system warning lamp on, or not working3.2%
• Horn not working, or of the wrong type2.9%
• Suspension joint dust cover missing or split2.8%
• Corrosion in a structural area2.6%
• Road wheel damaged, distorted or cracked1.6%

What gets tested

The Astravan fleet

Average mileage recorded at test

148,783

Across examples of every age, so this is a description of the fleet rather than an annual figure.

Fuel mix of tested cars

Diesel97.2%

Petrol2.5%

Compare within the range

Other Vauxhall models

• Vauxhall Corsa — 64.4% adjusted
• Vauxhall Astra — 71.0% adjusted
• Vauxhall Mokka — 68.6% adjusted
• Vauxhall Vivaro — 62.2% adjusted
• Vauxhall Insignia — 72.5% adjusted
• Vauxhall Zafira — 66.0% adjusted
• All Vauxhall models →

Common questions

How reliable is the Vauxhall Astravan compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Vauxhall Astravan, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 55.0% across 6,253 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Vauxhall Astravan?

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 21.1% of failed Vauxhall Astravan tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Vauxhall Astravan?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 40.0% of all Vauxhall Astravan tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Vauxhall Astravan usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 148,783 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Vauxhall Astravan models petrol or diesel?

Of the Vauxhall Astravan cars tested, 97% are diesel, 2% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.

Further reading

Make sense of the numbers

• How to judge reliability from evidence rather than reputation
• What counts as high or low mileage for a car’s age
• The most common MOT failures and how to avoid them
• What to check before buying a used Vauxhall