Is the Vauxhall Combo reliable?

On MOT evidence the Vauxhall Combo is well below average. It passes 63.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 236 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

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

The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.7% of failed Vauxhall Combo 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 Combo?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 31.9% of all Vauxhall Combo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 87,066 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.

Which Vauxhall Combo years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Vauxhall Combo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 73.6%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 49.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Vauxhall Combo get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 73.6% of Vauxhall Combo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 49.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Vauxhall Combo models petrol or diesel?

Of the Vauxhall Combo cars tested, 95% are diesel, 5% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Vauxhall Combo MOT pass rate & common failures

From 103,104 recorded MOT tests of the Vauxhall Combo, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Vauxhall Combo passes 63.5% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is well below average, ranking it 236 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 103,104 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, which appears in 17.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 87,066 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

63.5%national average72.3%unadjusted63.1%range covered99%rank236 of 262

The Combo is 8.8 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is well below average. The unadjusted figure is 63.1%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened17.7%
5,293 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.7%
4,087 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen13.5%
4,042 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained
4.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.4%
2,820 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
5.A tyre cords visible or damaged9.3%
2,778 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
6.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements9.2%
2,761 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.2%
2,463 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.7%
2,304 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
9.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc7.7%
2,288 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
10.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn7.6%
2,269 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

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

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements31.9%
32,913 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured12.4%
12,735 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
3.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded11.7%
12,049 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
4.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users10.0%
10,282 tests
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.6%
8,835 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A tyre seriously damaged8.6%
8,834 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
7.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.2%
8,437 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
8.A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage7.6%
7,839 testsShock absorber defective explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Vauxhall Combo

The 17 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.

Known faults

Vauxhall Combo common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Combo, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Combo common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Combo pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Vauxhall Combo passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202274%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201970%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201657%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201356%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier49%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Combo outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Combo fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 87,066
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel94.8%
Petrol5.2%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

COMBO 2000 DYNAMIC TD
COMBO 2000 EDITION P S/S
COMBO 2000 EDITION TD
COMBO 2000 ELITE TD
COMBO 2000 GRIFFIN ED TURBO D
COMBO 2000 GRIFFIN EDITION TD
COMBO 2000 LE NAV TD S/S
COMBO 2000 SPORTIVE P S/S
COMBO 2000 SPORTIVE TD
COMBO 2000 SPORTIVE TD S/S
COMBO 2300 DYNAMIC T D S/S A
COMBO 2300 DYNAMIC TD
COMBO 2300 EDITION TD
COMBO 2300 EDITION TD 4X4 S/S
COMBO 2300 EDITION TD S/S
COMBO 2300 ELITE TD
COMBO 2300 ELITE TURBO D S/S
COMBO 2300 LE NAV TD S/S
COMBO 2300 PRIME TURBO D
COMBO 2300 PRIME TURBO D S/S
COMBO 2300 PRIME TURBO D S/S A
COMBO 2300 PRO TURBO D
COMBO 2300 PRO TURBO D S/S
COMBO 2300 SPORTIVE T D S/S A
COMBO 2300 SPORTIVE TD
COMBO 2300 SPORTIVE TD 4X4 S/S
COMBO 2300 SPORTIVE TD S/S
COMBO CDTI
COMBO LIFE
COMBO LIFE DESIGN EV
COMBO LIFE DESIGN TURBO D S/S
COMBO LIFE DESIGN TURBO D SS A
COMBO LIFE EDITION S/S
COMBO LIFE EDITION TURBO D S/S
COMBO LIFE ELITE S/S AUTO
COMBO LIFE ELITE TURBO D S/S A
COMBO LIFE ENERGY S/S AUTO
COMBO LIFE ENERGY TURBO D S/S
COMBO LIFE SE S/S AUTO
COMBO LIFE SE TURBO D S/S

Check a specific Vauxhall Combo

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Hyundai I30 — 68.7% adjusted, ranked 185
Mini Countryman — 79.9% adjusted, ranked 56
Kia Niro — 85.8% adjusted, ranked 15
Mazda 3 — 70.6% adjusted, ranked 164

Common questions

Is the Vauxhall Combo reliable?: On MOT evidence the Vauxhall Combo is well below average. It passes 63.5% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 236 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Vauxhall Combo?: The item recorded most often is "A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened", which appears in 17.7% of failed Vauxhall Combo 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 Combo?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 31.9% of all Vauxhall Combo tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Vauxhall Combo usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 87,066 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.
Which Vauxhall Combo years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Vauxhall Combo cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 73.6%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 49.5%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Vauxhall Combo get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 73.6% of Vauxhall Combo tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 49.5%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Vauxhall Combo models petrol or diesel?: Of the Vauxhall Combo cars tested, 95% are diesel, 5% 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.