Vauxhall Corsa MOT Failures: Common Problems From 820,000 2024 Tests

The Vauxhall Corsa was the third most-tested car in Great Britain in 2024, with 820,147 first-attempt MOTs. We analysed every one in DVSA's published MOT data. Two failures show up far more often on Corsas than on other cars: broken coil springs and the engine warning light.

Vauxhall Corsa MOT Pass Rate in 2024

Of the Corsas tested, 62.5% passed first time, 7.9% failed but were fixed at the test centre the same day, and 29.6% failed. 8.1% of tests recorded at least one dangerous defect, close to the 7.8% average.

Unlike the Fiesta, the Corsa's low overall figure isn't mainly about age. It passed less often than the average car at every age from four to eighteen years (see the table further down).

Most Common Corsa MOT Failures

Coil springs. About one Corsa test in seventeen failed on a broken or badly weakened spring. Springs usually break near the end coil and often give no warning, though a car sitting lower on one corner or a clunk when turning can be a clue. Testers check them with the car raised, so it's hard to spot at home.

Engine warning light. The malfunction indicator lamp failed 3.1% of Corsa tests. The test fails a car if the light stays on with the engine running, or doesn't light up at all when the ignition is switched on. A garage with a diagnostic reader can tell you why it's on before the test.

Washers. At 2.9% of tests, the Corsa failed on washers twice as often as the average car. Often that's simply an empty bottle, but blocked jets and split pipes also fail.

By group, lamps and electrical faults appeared on 15.5% of Corsa tests, suspension on 12.8%, brakes on 7.4%, tyres on 6.8%, visibility on 6.6%, noise, emissions and leaks on 5.4% and steering on 5.1%.

Corsa Pass Rate by Age and Year

The gap is widest at nine years old, ten points below the average car. By first-registration year:

2014 cars passed slightly less often than 2013 cars despite being a year younger, then 2015 cars jumped eight points. Vauxhall switched from the Corsa D to the Corsa E around the end of 2014, which may explain part of that, but the data doesn't record which generation a car is.

Petrol vs Diesel

Petrol Corsas passed first time 62.9% of the time and diesels 58.5%. Comparing only cars aged eight to twelve, the gap almost disappears: petrol 61.8%, diesel 60.0%. For the Corsa, age matters much more than fuel type.

What to Check Before a Corsa MOT

1. Warning lights. Switch the ignition on and check the engine light comes on, then goes out once the engine starts. If it stays on, get the fault code read first.
2. All exterior lamps, including brake lights and the number plate lamp.
3. Washer fluid and jets. Fill the bottle and check both jets spray onto the screen.
4. Ride height. If one corner sits lower than the others, a spring may have broken.
5. Tyres and wipers, as for any car.

If you're buying a used Corsa, the GOV.UK MOT history check will show previous spring and suspension advisories. For how the Corsa compares with other popular cars, see our MOT pass rates by model. There's also our page on the Ford Fiesta, its closest rival, and on the Volkswagen Golf, which beats the average car at most ages.

How We Worked This Out

We used DVSA's 2024 anonymised MOT data: class 4 vehicles, normal first-attempt tests only (no retests). "Passed first time" means a pass with nothing to fix; passes after rectification at the test centre count as not passing first time. Failure items include fails and items rectified at the test centre, not advisories or minor defects. A test that failed on two items is counted under each.

Age is the time from first use to the test date, in whole years. We left out 488,352 tests (1.5% of all tests) whose records appear more than once with conflicting details. The figures describe what happened at tests and can't show the cause of a failure.