The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Vauxhall Viva common problems

What fails on the Vauxhall Viva at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 38,153 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Vauxhall Viva's most common MOT problems are tyre pressure sensors, tyres, suspension bushes, recorded in 32.6%, 32.1% and 29.5% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2019 cars pass most often (84.8%) and 2015 cars least (72.3%), 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 Vauxhall Viva 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 38,153 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Viva

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Vauxhall Viva 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.Tyre pressure sensors

    32.6% of failed tests

    Valve-mounted sensors have sealed batteries that expire after roughly seven to ten years; a system fault lamp is a failure on cars first used from 2012.

    • “A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” — explained32.6%

  2. 2.Tyres

    32.1% 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” — explained9.5%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained7.8%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained7.7%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained6.1%

    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

  3. 3.Suspension bushes

    29.5% 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 joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained11.4%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.5%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained4.9%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.9%

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

  4. 4.Wiper blades and washers

    21.0% 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” — explained14.9%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.4%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained2.0%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained0.7%

    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

  5. 5.Exhaust system

    9.0% of failed tests

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

    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained4.8%
    • “Exhaust system leaking or insecure” — explained3.6%
    • “An induction or exhaust leak that could affect emissions levels” — explained0.6%

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

  6. 6.Bulbs and lamps

    8.6% 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” — explained2.9%
    • “Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements” — explained2.2%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained1.4%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained1.3%

    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

  7. 7.Brake pads and shoes

    6.2% of failed tests

    Friction material wears with use; the MOT limit is 1.5 mm and a pad that thin is close to metal on metal.

    • “a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm” — explained6.2%

    Across all cars, brake pads and shoes 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 brake pads and shoes last

  8. 8.Engine management

    6.1% of failed tests

    The MIL lamp lit is a failure in itself, whatever the stored code; the fault codes section explains what lies behind it.

    • “Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction” — explained6.1%

By registration year

Viva problems by year

MOT pass rate for Vauxhall Viva 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 2017, up 5.5 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

201572%
201675%+3.0
201781%+5.5
201884%+3.5
201985%+0.5

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 Viva owners about

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

Go deeper

The rest of the Viva file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Vauxhall Viva?
Going by what fails the MOT, tyre pressure sensors (recorded in 32.6% of failed tests), tyres (recorded in 32.1% of failed tests), and suspension bushes (recorded in 29.5% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 38,153 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Vauxhall Viva year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Vauxhall Viva cars registered in 2019 do best at 84.8% and 2015 cars do worst at 72.3%. 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 2017, up 5.5 points on 2016.
Is the Vauxhall Viva reliable?
The Vauxhall Viva passes 78.6% 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 Vauxhall Viva?
Start with what fails most: tyres, suspension bushes, wiper blades and washers. 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